Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) announced its decision to pursue a revision of party rules to adopt a ranked choice voting system for selecting its new leader next month. This change, decided during a closed-door meeting of the party's supreme council, aims to streamline the election process by eliminating the need for runoff elections.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ranked choice voting system allows voters to rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If no candidate secures a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and votes are redistributed based on the next preferences until one candidate achieves a majority. The DP's national convention, where this new voting system may be implemented, is scheduled for August 17.
The proposed change has faced opposition from lawmakers supporting former DP leader Jung Chung-rae, who argue that it contravenes existing party rules. Rep. Lee Sung-yoon, a pro-Jung lawmaker, resigned from the council in protest, labeling the move as "completely unacceptable" and asserting that it violates the party's constitution and rules, especially with the convention and candidate registration approaching.
The supreme council also rejected a proposal to reserve one of the five elected seats for a young party member. The DP plans to seek approval for the voting system revision during a party affairs committee meeting at 4 p.m.
The upcoming leadership election has intensified with former leader Jung Chung-rae declaring his candidacy, setting the stage for a five-way contest against former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Reps. Song Young-gil and Ko Min-jung, and former Gangjin council member Kim Bo-mi.