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Seoul Free School Meal Ordinance Question, 2011
A Seoul Free School Meal Ordinance Question was voted on by residents of the city of Seoul in South Korea on August 24, 2011.
This measure was defeated because it only got 25.7% participation when it needed 33%.[1]
Background
This question was brought forth by a petition drive by an anti-welfare group in the city who collected 800,000 signatures, only 418,000 valid signatures were needed to validate the petition. The measure sought to reverse the free meal ordinance which was passed by city officials last year and allowed for free meals at all elementary schools in the city after March 2011.[2] The Mayor of the city had been against the free lunch program, stating that it was a type of welfare system and the money being used to give the free lunches should be used for other more important things. The school lunches are provided for any student that wants them, regardless of parental finances. The rest of the city council though supported the free lunches.[3]
In order to verify those signatures submitted, a civic group had pledged to go through all the submitted signatures to ensure they are valid. Suspicions have arisen that the group who collected the signatures did not get all that was needed. The group verifying the signatures is in favor of the free meal program and has urged the city council to spend the money which would go to holding the election, near $16.9 million, on free meals instead.[4] The Court has been asked to review the measure for its validity. Those against the measure brought this to the court, wanting it removed from being voted on because of the invalid signature count.[5]
On July 13, the government announced that it felt that there were enough signature collected to go ahead with the referendum.[6]
In order for this vote to be valid, there had to be a turnout rate of at least 33 percent of the city's eligible voters. Though this was the first referendum held in Seoul, three previous elections had been held in different cities in South Korea and none reached the 33 percent majority needed to be valid.[7]
Additional reading
- The Korea Herald, "Civic groups take legal action against mayor," August 18, 2011
- Yonhap News Agency, "Lee to cast absentee ballot in referendum on Seoul's free lunch program," August 12, 2011
- The Korea Times, "School meal vote planned Aug. 24," July 25, 2011
- The Korea Herald, "Seoul's referendum on free lunch to be held in late August," July 20, 2011
- The Hankyohre, "End Mayor Oh’s free school lunch referendum," July 12, 2011
- Yonhap News, "Civic groups demand Seoul hold referendum on free school lunches," June 16, 2011
- Korea JoongAng Daily, "Mayor Oh takes big gamble on lunch referendum," January 12, 2011
References
- ↑ The Korea Herald, "Seoul Mayor's free meal referendum fails," August 25, 2011
- ↑ The Korea Herald, "Seoul to hold first plebiscite vote on free school meals," June 16, 2011
- ↑ The Korea Times, "Residents to vote on free lunch," May 24, 2011
- ↑ The Korea Times, "Coalition to review procedure in free meal vote," June 22, 2011
- ↑ The Korea Times, "Court to review vote on free school meal," July 11, 2011
- ↑ Joongang Daily, "Signatures suffice vote on free meal," July 13, 2011
- ↑ Joongang Daily, "Battle over lunches to climax Wednesday," August 22, 2011
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