DP's innovation committee recommends changing leadership election rules

▲ Kim Eun-kyung, the chief of the main opposition Democratic Party's innovation committee, listens to a presentation of party reform measures at the National Assembly in Seoul, on Aug. 10, 2023. (Yonhap)

DP-innovation committee

DP's innovation committee recommends changing leadership election rules

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP)'s innovation committee announced its final set of reform measures Thursday, including changes to the leadership election rules.

Under the recommendation, votes from party delegates would no longer be counted toward selecting the chief and the supreme council members and instead, a greater emphasis would be placed on votes from "members with rights." The new approach would allocate 70 percent of the voting weight to members with rights and 30 percent to public opinion polls.

Currently, the DP's party rules allocate a weight of 40 percent to votes from members with rights, 30 percent from party representatives, 25 percent from public opinion polls and five percent from regular members.

Furthermore, the committee recommended the addition of ethics standards to assess incumbent lawmakers to exclude unqualified candidates from party nominations.

The recommendation is expected to be discussed and considered for approval later this month.

Upon putting forth its concluding proposal, the committee concluded its operations since its formation in late June with the goal of enhancing the party's image amid a slew of scandals.

Among its previous recommendations, the committee has proposed that all party lawmakers submit written pledges to give up their immunity from arrest. It also suggested the DP adopt it as an official policy so that they will not vote down any motion requesting parliamentary consent to arresting DP lawmakers.

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