"Did You Use Taxpayer Money for a Vacation?" NEC Faces Controversy Over 'Maldives Photos'

[Anchor] There is growing criticism regarding National Election Commission (NEC) employees who went on a business trip to the Maldives, with people asking, "They claim they are understaffed, so didn't they just go on a vacation using taxpayer money?"

Although the NEC stated it was an official trip to study overseas election systems, critics are questioning whether it was actually a junket funded by taxpayers.

Recently, a "Maldives Presidential Election Observation Report" written by the NEC has been circulating widely on online communities.

According to the report, five NEC employees visited the Maldives for 9 days and 7 nights in September 2023.

The stated purpose of this official trip was to study foreign election systems and promote international exchange and cooperation, and the itinerary included visits to candidate campaign offices and observation of voting and ballot counting processes.

However, the controversy has intensified as the report also contained numerous photos of beautiful beaches and ports that appear unrelated to election administration.

In response, online users have criticized the trip, with comments such as, "What could they have possibly learned in a world-famous resort destination?" and "It looks like they went on a vacation using taxpayer money."

Furthermore, as it was also mentioned that many employees were on leave ahead of elections, questions are being raised about the overall management of the organization.

(Source: Online Community)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.