[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Justice Party Gwangju City Party strongly criticized the disappearance of the 4-member electoral district in Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju, as a pilot project for the 'Major Electoral District System for Basic Councilors,' saying it distorted the purpose of the project.
On the 19th, the Justice Party stated in a press release, "The Democratic Party of Korea should not abolish the 4-member electoral district in order to preserve the purpose of the pilot project for the major electoral district system," and pointed out, "They should not conduct fixed-number nominations either."
The Justice Party criticized, "The Democratic Party reduced Gwangsan 3rd electoral district (Hanam, Imgok, Bia, Cheomdan 1 and 2-dong), one of only two 4-member electoral districts in Gwangju, to a 3-member electoral district."
They further demanded, "To properly uphold the purpose of the pilot project for the major electoral district system, the Democratic Party should nominate two candidates, not fixed-number nominations, in the three electoral districts of Gwangsan-eul, including the district reduced from 4 to 3 members."
Ahead of the local elections in June, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party selected 11 electoral districts nationwide as pilot areas for the major electoral district system for basic councilors. In Honam, Gwangsan-eul, the constituency of Democratic Party lawmaker Min Hyung-bae, was included.
The Gwangju City Council held a district delimitation committee meeting the day before and approved the agenda to adjust the Gwangsan-eul electoral district and the number of councilors.
They decided to adjust the three electoral districts (3rd to 5th districts) of Gwangsan-eul and increase the number of district councilors from the existing 8 to 9.
The 3rd electoral district, which elects 4 basic councilors, was adjusted by redrawing the dong boundaries and reduced to a 3-member electoral district, while the 4th and 5th electoral districts, each electing 2 members, were changed to 3-member electoral districts by increasing one member each.
A single-member district system elects one representative per district, while a large electoral district system elects two or more representatives. Among these, electing 2 to 5 members is called a medium electoral district system.
The medium and large electoral district systems reduce wasted votes and increase the chances of election for minority parties such as the Justice Party and the Progressive Party.
The Political Reform Gwangju Citizens' Coalition and others are also demanding that the Democratic Party create a multi-party democratic politics by nominating only two candidates in the 3-member electoral districts instead of fixed-number nominations.
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