People Power Party also proposes '4-term limit law'... Will it pass despite senior members' opposition?

Omission of Policy Manifesto but Legalization Efforts Underway
"With a Generational Change System" vs "Opposed to Institutionalization"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] Following the Democratic Party, the main opposition party People Power Party (the new name of the United Future Party) is also set to propose a bill to limit National Assembly members to four consecutive terms. As the phrase was withdrawn from the party's platform and policies, the direction has shifted toward legislation at the National Assembly level. Both ruling and opposition parties have members expressing their will, but the key issue is whether it will be realized.

People Power Party lawmaker Park Soo-young is expected to soon propose the 'Four-Term Limit for National Assembly Members Act.' Park, who serves as a member of the party's platform and policy revision special committee, was the one who proposed this reform. When the phrase 'four-term limit for National Assembly members' was ultimately removed from the party platform and policies, he described it as "a step back for two steps forward" and said, "I will submit the bill and persuade each member one by one." A staff member from his office said, "We are currently collecting signatures," adding, "The bill will be proposed by early next week at the latest."

In the Democratic Party, lawmaker Yoon Gun-young, known as President Moon Jae-in's 'right-hand man,' has already proposed the 'Four-Term Ban Act' as his first bill. Yoon explained the background of the proposal, saying, "Politics is failing to gain the trust of the people and is even becoming a subject of ridicule," and "Members themselves must restore public trust by relinquishing vested interests." This reflects the recognition that it is difficult to change the image of National Assembly members without a shock therapy.

The 'four-term limit,' which prohibits serving more than 12 consecutive years as a National Assembly member, is ultimately aimed at systematizing generational change. Although calls for generational change arise during every election, there is currently no system that enables personnel renewal. In reality, it depends on multi-term members voluntarily not running for re-election. A party official said, "Statistics show that the more terms a member serves, the less diligent they are in legislative activities," adding, "There are quite a few multi-term members who only take care of their constituencies or engage solely in political activities."

Many lawmakers share this view. A first-term lawmaker from the People Power Party said, "Although the institutionalization at the party level failed, the proposal received support among lawmakers advocating innovation. Many young lawmakers and the leadership relatively accepted it," adding, "The spark must be kept alive."

However, as revealed during the People Power Party's opinion-gathering process, resistance from senior lawmakers is considerable. Along with emotional unrest that "setting limits based solely on terms served is discriminatory," logical arguments are raised that more than 12 years of experience is necessary to deal with highly skilled administrative ministers and vice ministers. Reflecting this perception gap, among the 10 lawmakers who signed Yoon Gun-young's bill, nine were first-term lawmakers, and there were no senior lawmakers with three or more terms.

While agreeing with the proposition that "generational change is necessary," some hold negative views on "institutionalization." A first-term lawmaker said, "I agree with creating a generational change trend from a developmental perspective, but I am skeptical about legally blocking the eligibility of specific individuals to run for office."

Ultimately, whether the bill is enacted seems to depend on the will of the floor leaders of both parties. The National Assembly Act is under the jurisdiction of the Steering Committee, which includes floor leaders from both parties, and currently, Democratic Party floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon serves as the chair. A National Assembly official said, "Without the will of the floor leaders of both parties, it is difficult to even start discussions."

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