Minority presidential hopefuls call for radical change in election system, while front-runner Moon practices prudence

Facing the likelihood of an earlier-than-planned presidential election next year, presidential aspirants -- particularly those of opposition circles -- are now going all-out to gain an upper hand in the race.

Embracing the public’s dissent over the power monopolization shown in the high-profile corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her top aides, the opposition figures all advocate the decentralization and readjustment of the current presidential system.

But when it comes to detailed action plans, all showed a different approach, depending on their respective policy disposition.

The top point of dispute is whether to adopt a runoff election system under which the two finalists of a presidential election would face an additional vote, if neither obtained a majority of votes in the initial round.

The nation’s Constitution was last revised in 1987 under former President Chun Doo-hwan’s rule, but there has long been talk of an amendment on presidential elections and terms.

It has especially been the current single five-year presidential term and state chief’s power monopoly that have been the subject of dispute.

Even President Park had urged for a revision of the basic law in October, though her drive was immediately overshadowed by the extensive influence-peddling scandal involving her confidante Choi Soon-sil.

Under current political challenges, however, key potential candidates in the upcoming presidential election generally agree such a revision should be put off until the next administration. 　

“It is practically impossible to revise the Constitution by the (next) presidential election, so (the given task) should be left to the next government,” said Moon Jae-in, former chairman and leading presidential hopeful of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, at a press conference last week.

South Chungcheong Gov. An Hee-jung, who also served in the former liberal Roh Moo-hyun government along with Moon, claimed the idea of an immediate constitutional revision is “irrational.”

Some minority party candidates, however, have claimed that a revision of the basic law is needed to fundamentally reform the nation’s political system. Among them are former Democratic Party Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu and Rep. Kim Boo-kyum, a fourth-termer in the conservative stronghold city of Daegu.

The central point of dispute is the adoption of a runoff election in the upcoming presidential race.

The idea of putting two finalists to a second round, in case neither attains a majority vote in the first round, has recently been suggested as a way to assure the public’s approval of the winner.

It was mostly runner-up candidates who called for such reinforced competition, in an apparent move against Moon’s lead among opposition hopefuls.

“Only by adopting a runoff election may we properly reflect the people’s will in the election result,” Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung wrote via his Twitter account.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party, one of the strongest advocates of the runoff system, even accused Moon of dismissing the competitive system out of fear of losing his upper hand in the race.

Although Moon admits the need for a runoff election, he said a constitutional revision is first needed to introduce a system that is not currently in place under current law.　

He also expressed disapproval of the idea of reducing the term of the incoming president from five years to three years, so as to let the following presidential election take place in 2020 along with the general election.

“The reduction of the (presidential) term should be based on a constitutional revision into a Cabinet government system,” he said last week, effectively dismissing the issue for the time being.

But Mayor Lee and Rep. Kim, along with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, all argued that given the current political situation, the next president’s term should be shortened.

All three runner-up figures are considered to have relatively low chances of winning against Moon in next year’s race.

By Bae Hyun-jung ()


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com