Ruling Party's 'Proportional Alliance Party' Cannot Be Dissolved Even After Election

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Kang Nahum and Jeon Jinyoung] There is speculation that the temporary party 'Proportional Representation Coalition Party,' which the ruling coalition is promoting to secure a majority of proportional representation seats, will not dissolve even after the election. This is because if the party dissolves and a proportional representation vacancy occurs in each party, succession becomes impossible.

According to political circles on the 11th, parties such as the 'Political Reform Alliance' and 'For the Citizens,' led by civil society forces, advocate a 'platform party' strategy to secure a majority of proportional representation seats for progressive parties. They plan to gather proportional representation candidates from each progressive party wishing to participate and then 'return to their original parties' after the election. Considering that voluntarily leaving the party results in losing the parliamentary seat, this return is expected to be carried out through expulsion measures.

When proportional representatives are sent back to each party in this way, the Proportional Representation Coalition Party should proceed with dissolution, but some analyses suggest that maintaining the party is inevitable due to the issue of proportional representation succession.

Regarding proportional representation vacancies, Article 200 of the current Public Official Election Act states, "If the party that recommended the candidate to succeed the seat dissolves or if a vacancy occurs within 120 days before the expiration of the term, the person to succeed the seat shall not be decided." In other words, since the proportional representation list disappears upon dissolution, even if a proportional representation vacancy occurs in each party during the term, succession becomes impossible.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Succession of proportional representation seats is inevitably a sensitive issue for the Democratic Party. In fact, in the 20th general election, the Democratic Party won up to the 13th proportional representation seat, but by the latter half of the term, succession extended up to the 17th seat. This is why the speculation that the Proportional Representation Coalition Party will be maintained carries weight.

There is also analysis that the Proportional Representation Coalition Party could become a political force depending on circumstances. A political insider said, "Since prominent figures from civil society are already voicing opinions within the Proportional Representation Coalition Party, once the party is established, it will not merely serve as a midwife for proportional representatives."

However, each Proportional Representation Coalition Party, while recognizing the situation that they must maintain the party, has drawn a line regarding political activities. Professor Choi Baek-geun, co-representative of 'For the Citizens,' said, "Due to issues such as succession, there is a need to retain the party's external structure to some extent," adding, "However, substantive party activities such as political participation will be suspended."

Ha Seung-soo, executive committee chairman of the Political Reform Alliance, also said, "We are not unaware of issues like succession," and added, "We are currently considering how to operate the party after the election."

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