Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties opened a Whole House Committee meeting for the first time in 20 years to debate electoral reforms to be applied to next year’s parliamentary elections.
Over the next four days, 100 lawmakers in the 300-seat Assembly are expected to discuss three proposals put forward by the parliamentary political reform special committee that centers on adjusting the size of constituencies and the number of proportional representation seats.
Another issue is whether the committee will pick up as an agenda item a proposal from ruling People Power Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon to cut the number of lawmakers by at least 30.
Kim made the suggestion last week, citing poll results that call for the number of lawmakers to be reduced and claiming that the authority of lawmakers has been entrusted by the people.
Agreed-upon revisions will be applied to the general elections scheduled for April 10 next year.
Monday’s meeting marks the first time in nearly two decades for the Assembly to launch a Whole House Committee meeting. A meeting was held in 2003 to discuss dispatching troops to the Iraq War followed by another round of debate the next year on extending their term.
Source: Yonhap News Agency