Proportional representatives to be double
By Kang Hyun-kyung
The National Election Commission (NEC) asked for a revision of the Election Law, Tuesday, so as to increase the number of lawmakers indirectly elected through the proportional representation system.
If the National Assembly adopts the NEC proposal, it would mean directly elected lawmakers will decrease from 246 to 200, while proportional representatives will almost double from 54 to 100.
The revision would maintain the current total number of seats at 300.
The election watchdog said that the change is needed to improve the current "small constituency" system where one lawmaker is elected per electoral district.
The side effects of this include, among other things, heated electioneering in general and in particular an unfair situation where lawmakers are elected by a large gap in votes cast.
At the same time, the NEC also suggested a sort of "repechage" in which losing candidates with a large number of votes will be put on the list of proportional representatives for another chance to win a seat.
Officials explained that this is aimed at minimizing the number of "wasted votes" given to losers in close elections.
For instance, Kim Bu-gyeom failed in the 2012 election for the Suseong-A district in Daegu, though he won 40.42 percent of the vote as an opposition candidate.
The new system is also meant to ease lingering regional antagonism.
The rival parties showed a mixed response to the NEC move.
The opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy welcomed it, describing it as one the party has long wished to see. But the ruling Saenuri Party was cautious, saying it would exert efforts to revise the law to meet the expectations of the people.
Despite the official party position, however, the recommendation is likely to meet a backlash from some incumbent lawmakers elected by the popular votes as it will mean many of them will lose their parliamentary seats. If implemented, the system will also call for the redrawing of electoral districts.
NEC spokesman Kim Jung-gon admitted that possible repercussions from incumbent lawmakers over the proposal will be inevitable.
"I think the recommendation will be hard to accept. But we have few options because the Constitutional Court ruled that the current system is unconstitutional and so we have to reform it," he told reporters.
The NEC bill will also prohibit candidates from withdrawing their candidacy 11 days or less before the election date.
Candidates must repay the legal subsidies they received from the government for running in the election if they drop out of the race. The bill must be approved by the National Assembly to be enacted.
By Kang Hyun-kyung
The National Election Commission (NEC) asked for a revision of the Election Law, Tuesday, so as to increase the number of lawmakers indirectly elected through the proportional representation system.
If the National Assembly adopts the NEC proposal, it would mean directly elected lawmakers will decrease from 246 to 200, while proportional representatives will almost double from 54 to 100.
The revision would maintain the current total number of seats at 300.
The election watchdog said that the change is needed to improve the current "small constituency" system where one lawmaker is elected per electoral district.
The side effects of this include, among other things, heated electioneering in general and in particular an unfair situation where lawmakers are elected by a large gap in votes cast.
At the same time, the NEC also suggested a sort of "repechage" in which losing candidates with a large number of votes will be put on the list of proportional representatives for another chance to win a seat.
Officials explained that this is aimed at minimizing the number of "wasted votes" given to losers in close elections.
For instance, Kim Bu-gyeom failed in the 2012 election for the Suseong-A district in Daegu, though he won 40.42 percent of the vote as an opposition candidate.
The new system is also meant to ease lingering regional antagonism.
The rival parties showed a mixed response to the NEC move.
The opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy welcomed it, describing it as one the party has long wished to see. But the ruling Saenuri Party was cautious, saying it would exert efforts to revise the law to meet the expectations of the people.
Despite the official party position, however, the recommendation is likely to meet a backlash from some incumbent lawmakers elected by the popular votes as it will mean many of them will lose their parliamentary seats. If implemented, the system will also call for the redrawing of electoral districts.
NEC spokesman Kim Jung-gon admitted that possible repercussions from incumbent lawmakers over the proposal will be inevitable.
"I think the recommendation will be hard to accept. But we have few options because the Constitutional Court ruled that the current system is unconstitutional and so we have to reform it," he told reporters.
The NEC bill will also prohibit candidates from withdrawing their candidacy 11 days or less before the election date.
Candidates must repay the legal subsidies they received from the government for running in the election if they drop out of the race. The bill must be approved by the National Assembly to be enacted.
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