Anger over Ruling Party's Consideration of Proportional Representation Party for Livelihood and Justice... "Proportional Satellite Party Should Be Dissolved"

Park Juhyun "Urgent Measures Needed"
Son Hakgyu "Considering Injunction to Suspend Effect"
Sim Sangjung "Democratic Party's Betrayal of the People"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The former 4+1 coalition, which led the election system reform, is shaking. The Democratic Party of Korea has begun full-scale consideration of forming an electoral alliance party that gathers proportional representation candidates from the reform and progressive camps. The Minsaeng Party and the Justice Party immediately protested. Sohn Hak-kyu, former leader of the Bareunmirae Party, who even went on a hunger strike for the introduction of the mixed-member proportional representation system, demanded the government to dissolve the proportional satellite parties.

Park Joo-hyun, co-representative of the Minsaeng Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd, “Election reform is becoming a patchwork. The United Future Party created the Future Korea Party, and now the People’s Party has declared itself a proportional representation specialist party,” adding, “Even within the reform camp, they are pushing for an alliance proportional party, saying they cannot allow the impeachment forces to regain a majority or become the first party. None of this is right.”

Co-representative Park said, “The entire nation is anxious due to COVID-19 infections and livelihoods are on the brink of collapse, but this is not the attitude the political world should take,” and added, “At the same time, we cannot just leave the blatant illegal and unlawful acts of the Future Korea Party and the People’s Party unchecked, allowing the impeachment forces to revive. The government must prepare drastic measures against proportional satellite parties.”

Civil organizations such as the National Assembly of Sovereign Citizens sent a proposal to the Democratic Party titled ‘Formation of a Political Reform Coalition (tentative name) to Block the Future Korea Party and Complete Political Reform.’ Progressive and reform forces including the Democratic Party, Justice Party, Green Party, and Future Party are to unite to form an alliance party for proportional representation and dispatch proportional representation candidates from each party to it. The Democratic Party has officially reported this to leader Lee Hae-chan.

Former leader Sohn also announced legal action against proportional satellite parties. On the 1st, Sohn held a press conference at the National Assembly Press Hall and said, “The formation of proportional satellite parties violates the constitutional spirit based on representative democracy,” and “The government should strongly urge the Constitutional Court to dissolve proportional satellite parties that violate democratic basic order according to the Constitution.”

Sohn said, “Even if the Constitutional Court’s ruling comes after the election, such parties will be dissolved following an unconstitutional ruling, and proportional representation members belonging to those parties will lose their seats,” and “We will consider filing an injunction to suspend the effect of party registration conducted by the Central Election Commission.”

Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, also held a press briefing that day and said, “The formation of a Proportional Democratic Party lacks justification, so it seems they want to legitimize it by joining with small parties,” pointing out, “Fundamentally, whether it is the Proportional Democratic Party or an alliance party, it is a trick party.” Sim said, “If the Democratic Party follows the shameless tactics of the impeachment forces, the United Future Party, it will be a betrayal of the people,” and demanded an official party stance from leader Lee on the push for a proportional party.

Earlier, on the 24th, the Justice Party filed a constitutional complaint to invalidate the party registration of the Future Korea Party, a satellite party of the United Future Party. In the constitutional complaint petition, the Justice Party stated, “The act of accepting the registration of an unprecedented illegal satellite organization solely for the purpose of evading the mixed-member proportional representation system infringes on the fundamental rights and equality rights guaranteed by the Constitution to political parties.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.