'Maintain Mixed-Member Proportional Representation, Ban Satellite Parties' Urge Party Decision
"I Will Relinquish Privileges First... Will Go Anywhere, Even Tough Districts"'
On the 28th, Lee Tan-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that he would "give up vested interests starting with myself" and declared that he would run in a 'difficult district' designated by the party, rather than his current constituency 'Yongin Jeong', in the National Assembly general election scheduled for April next year.
On the same day, Lee held an 'emergency press conference' at the National Assembly in the morning and said, "I will not run in my 'Yongin Jeong' constituency in the next general election." He apologized to local voters, saying, "Due to circumstances, I was unable to consult with you in advance."
Lee has been leading discussions on electoral reform by declaring that he would "stake his position" on maintaining the mixed-member proportional representation system and banning satellite parties. However, as the party leadership has been lukewarm about the related discussions, he recently urged party leader Lee Jae-myung to make a decisive decision.
On the day, Lee said, "I have insisted that our party must give up vested interests, defend the mixed-member proportional representation system, and keep the promise made to the people not to create satellite parties. I will start by giving up my own vested interests and return to my original intention. For the sake of the party's decision, I will go wherever the party tells me to go, no matter where it is. I will go to any difficult district where our party is struggling."
He continued, "The people are asking fundamental questions to the Democratic Party," and asked the party, "'Is the Democratic Party a party that chooses between the promises made to the people and immediate benefits?' 'Is it a party that gives up vested interests or one that clings to them?'"
He said, "Let's protect the essence of our party," and added, "Let's return to the spirit of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, who chose principles and values over immediate benefits. That is our history and tradition."
Lee emphasized, "We have promised the people 'political reform' several times over the past four years," and said, "Defending the mixed-member proportional representation system and not creating satellite parties is a great decision for the Democratic Party to give up vested interests." He also expressed concern, saying, "On the contrary, if we join hands with the People Power Party and pass the old parallel voting system and the bipartisan cartel law, denying our identity, our fate in the next general election will be as precarious as a candle in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment." He criticized this as "(an act) that eliminates the reason for the Democratic Party to exist in Korean politics."
Lee appealed once again, asking, "I urge leader Lee Jae-myung and the leadership, who promised national unity and political change, to lead the right decision at tomorrow's party meeting."
Lee Tan-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, holds an emergency press conference for the Declaration of Political Reform and Political Change at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 25th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
There is an analysis that if the Democratic Party does not create satellite parties and applies the mixed-member proportional representation system in next year's general election, it could lose the position of the largest party in the National Assembly to the People Power Party. Because of this, there is also a sense within the party that adopting the 'parallel voting system' is inevitable.
According to a simulation recently released on social media by Choi Byung-chun, director of the New Growth Economy Research Institute and former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, even if the People Power Party and the Democratic Party receive the same number of votes, the number of seats varies significantly depending on which proportional representation election method is chosen and whether satellite parties are created. In the case of the Democratic Party, choosing the mixed-member proportional system results in losing 16.45 seats, while the People Power Party gains 9.55 seats, Lee Jun-seok's new party gains 4 seats, the Justice Party gains 2.3 seats, and Cho Kuk's new party gains 0.65 seats, respectively.
Lawmakers who have advocated electoral reform have referred to the 'National Unity Political Reform Plan,' which promised the public the introduction of the mixed-member proportional representation system during the last presidential election, urging leader Lee Jae-myung to make a decision. Recently, lawmaker Kim Jong-min said on social media, "If the Lee Jae-myung leadership breaks those many promises and colludes on the election law, we will stake everything and join forces with like-minded Democratic Party lawmakers to stop it."
On the same day, former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon also supported Lee Tan-hee, who has taken a determined stance to maintain the 'semi-mixed-member proportional representation system' and to ban satellite parties.
In a keynote speech at the 'Solidarity and Coexistence' forum held at the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall, former leader Lee said, "We must overcome political polarization caused by large parties," mentioning the 'multi-party system.' He explained, "As a result of the two major parties competing to 'disappoint the people,' the non-affiliated voter base has become stronger than before," and added, "It is necessary to embrace the non-affiliated voters in the National Assembly through a multi-party system to overcome political polarization and prevent political instability."
He warned, "What we need to do immediately is to maintain the semi-mixed-member proportional representation system on the premise of giving up satellite parties," and cautioned, "The parallel voting system, which is known to have been agreed upon by the two major parties to monopolize seats, will severely exacerbate the harms of political polarization."
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