Ruling party pushes to adopt open primary to pick 80% of candidates

The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) will push to select 80 percent of its candidates for April's general elections through open primaries, party officials said Monday, as the scandal-ridden party is trying to shed its corrupt image ahead of the crucial vote.

An open primary is a system in which ordinary people are allowed to cast votes to select candidates even if they are not party members. The candidates who receive the most votes in the primaries win nominations for the general election.

The GNP emergency council's proposal calls for picking contenders in 80 percent of the 245 constituencies through open contests, while giving the rest of the party tickets to 49 districts where aspiring politicians have competitive edges.

As the current election law needs to be revised to implement the new system, the floor leaders of rival parties will begin negotiations to discuss details of the proposal, the GNP spokesman Hwang Young-chul said at a briefing.

A group of the ruling party lawmakers last year submitted a revision bill to introduce the nomination rule, but it has been pending in the parliament with opponents arguing an open primary system would cost extra money and time before a real race begins.

The emergency council also said the party won't nominate the 22 incumbent proportional representatives to run in the conservative party's strongholds, especially in the affluent region in southern Seoul and the southeastern provinces of Gyeongsang.

South Korea's unicameral parliament introduced the proportional system in 2004 with the aim of encouraging candidates with diverse backgrounds to support people like them, including the disabled, activists and females. But it has come under fire from voters after a series of bribery allegations broke out during the electoral processes in past elections.

There are 54 proportional slots in the 299-member parliament, which is controlled by the GNP with 166 seats. (Yonhap)