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| Kim Chong-in, center, head of the main opposition United Future Party's emergency committee, talks during a committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. The conservative UFP's new party platform revealed the same day is drawing attention for promoting ideas often associated with the liberal camp. Yonhap |
By Jung Da-min
The conservative main opposition United Future Party's (UFP) new platform is causing controversy for trying to ban lawmakers from seeking a fourth consecutive term in a bid to guarantee a generational shift.
On Thursday, the party announced a draft of its new platform, which included ideas often associated with the liberal camp, such as introducing a basic income system, guaranteeing the labor rights of those who work on online platforms and strengthening the unemployment safety net.
One idea was to ban lawmakers from serving a fourth consecutive term in the National Assembly ― meaning those who served three terms cannot run for reelection for another term immediately, but must wait four years before seeking another term. Along with the ban, the reform plan also includes mandatory nomination of young politicians in local elections and lowering the age limit of eligibility to run for an election ― at present, those over 18 can vote, while those over 40 can run in a presidential election, and those over 25 in a general election.
Many political watchers supported the idea of lowering the age limit, citing equal opportunity. But many cast doubts over the necessity and fairness of the ban on fourth consecutive terms in the Assembly.
Political watchers say such a ban is unnecessary, because the number of lawmakers serving four or more consecutive terms is too small to bring a generational shift for which is the aim of the ban. Besides, they say if the ban aimed to exclude "aged" politicians from the Assembly, it would go against the democratic political system in which politicians of different age groups should represent each group.
"The problem with the National Assembly is not really about a lack of new politicians, especially when 151 out of the 21st Assembly's 300 seats have been taken by first-term lawmakers," said Park Sang-hoon, chief of Political Power Plant, a grassroots organization dedicated to civic and political education.
"The problem is rather about a lack of diversity when nominating lawmaker candidates, as most of them were from the established or privileged groups with professions like professors or lawyers. In other words, those who have already been socially established are also dominating politics."
Park also said veteran lawmakers serving more than four consecutive terms are needed in the Assembly because their long experience could be useful in mediating conflicts among lawmakers.
"There are a wide range of issues in parliamentary politics and covering them requires long experience," Park said. "It is not necessary for all lawmakers to have that much experience, but there should be some so they can facilitate reasonable decision-making."
He also said it seemed the UFP brought up the issue as a strategy to counter an earlier proposal by Rep. Youn Kun-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, who first proposed a revision bill with a similar ban.
Park said that rather than politicizing an unnecessary matter, the UFP should focus on presenting alternatives to the ruling bloc's real estate policy, which has drawn public criticism and put the UFP ahead of the DPK in public approval ratings for the first time since 2016, according to a poll that Realmeter released on Thursday.
Citizens showed mixed responses to the idea of banning fourth consecutive terms.
"Excluding experienced lawmakers from running in a general election is discrimination," said a citizen in his 30s surnamed Baek. "To promote diversity in the National Assembly, I think it is better not to nominate veteran lawmakers for the proportional representation while allowing them to run in the constituency races. New politicians with diverse backgrounds should be given more opportunities to run in the proportional representation."
Another citizen in his 20s surnamed Yee said, "It does not have to be exactly the fourth term, but I think introducing some kind of ban on consecutive terms is needed to facilitate a generational shift and foster young politicians."
