2023-11-16 18:56:23
Graphics = Song Yunhye
There is less than a month left until the preliminary candidate registration date for next year’s April 10 general election (December 12), but discussions between the ruling and opposition parties on reforming the electoral system have not progressed one step further. The People Power Party argues that we can return to the past method of distributing seats proportionally according to the party vote rate, regardless of the number of seats in the district. On the other hand, the Democratic Party, which holds the key to processing the bill, has not yet decided on its position. If the ruling and opposition parties cannot agree on a revision to the election law, the election must be held according to the current (semi-linked proportional system), which erupted in the last general election when issues of satellite parties and hypothetical proportional parties erupted. In the political world, there is growing concern that “if the election law is neglected, extreme National Assembly members like Choi, Mi, and Gyeom (Choi Kang-wook, Yoon Mi-hyang, and Kim Eui-gyeom) may emerge.”
Graphics = Song Yunhye
A key People Power Party official said in a phone call with our newspaper on the 16th, “Our party’s position is to return to the simple proportional system that was maintained until the 20th general election in 2016.” This official said, “Our party is ready to revise the election law at any time,” and added, “The Democratic Party must actively participate in the discussion.” A Democratic Party official said, “We will decide the party’s position by the end of this month and negotiate with the ruling party.” It is said that the current trend within the opposition party is to maintain the current semi-linked proportional system but supplement it by establishing new provisions to prevent satellite parties.
The semi-linked proportional system was first introduced during the 21st general election in 2020 under the pretext of preventing the two major parties from monopolizing seats and promoting minority parties’ advancement into the National Assembly. However, all kinds of proportional political parties took aim at the loophole that allowed them to enter the National Assembly by achieving the minimum vote rate (3%). As the system is such that if there are many seats in a constituency, there is a loss in proportional seats, so the two major parties broke their original promises and established satellite parties (the Citizens’ Party and the Future Korea Party), and the election became uncontrollably turbulent. There were a whopping 35 proportional political parties, and the length of the ballot paper was 48.1 cm, the longest ever. The proportional competition ratio also surged from 3.36 to 1 in the 20th general election to 6.64 to 1.
On the surface, the Democratic Party’s position is that if provisions to prevent satellite political parties are tightened, they may avoid following in the footsteps of the last general election. On the 15th, 30 Democratic Party members announced that they would push for a law to prevent satellite political parties as a party line. In fact, a bill has also been proposed to cut government subsidies if the parent party merges with a satellite party within two years following the election (Lee Tan-hee), or to require parties nominating in local districts to nominate proportional candidates (Min Hyeong-bae). However, the ruling party’s position is, “We cannot agree to such discussions that are premised on maintaining a semi-indexed proportional system.”
Even if the People Power Party and the Democratic Party do not create satellite parties, there is no way to prevent the emergence of ‘New Party of Cho, Chu, Song (Cho Kuk, Chu Mi-ae, Song Young-gil)’ and ‘New Party of Lee Jun-seok’ and their securing seats. Even within the Democratic Party, voices continue to emerge that banning proportional political parties may be unconstitutional. A ruling party official said, “If we take the time like this and hold the election as is, the Democratic Party will benefit the most.” In fact, the Democratic Party won 163 constituency seats in the 21st general election and merged with the satellite party Citizens Party (17 seats) immediately following the election. The Open Democratic Party, which claimed to be a ‘true pro-Moon party’ and ran a proportional candidate, secured 3 seats (5.42%) and merged with the Democratic Party in 2021.
If the opposition party concludes that it will maintain a semi-linked proportional system, the ruling party can also create a satellite party in the name of self-defense. The loss is passed on to the people. Former lawmaker Choi Kang-wook from the Open Democratic Party passed 1 out of 62 bills (0.02%), and lawmaker Kim Eui-gyeom passed 1 out of 23 bills (0.04%). Rep. Yoon Mi-hyang, who was elected as a member of the Citizens’ Party, has maintained her seat following being ‘trickfully expelled’ in 2021 due to suspicions of her real estate speculation. Throughout her term, she caused controversies over donations to the Korean Council for Justice and Chongryon events.
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