Basic Income Party calls for ban on lawmakers doubling as ministers after Yong exit

The Basic Income Party proposed Monday that lawmakers be barred from simultaneously serving as Cabinet ministers, just one day after its own lawmaker, Yong Hye-in, withdrew as the gender equality and family minister nominee amid controversy over her plans to hold both posts.

The party called on the ruling Democratic Party (DP) to revise the National Assembly Act to prohibit all lawmakers from concurrently serving as Cabinet ministers, regardless of whether they hold constituency or proportional representation seats.

The proposal marks a shift for the Basic Income Party, which had previously defended Yong’s plan to remain a proportional representation lawmaker while serving as minister as a “new challenge.”

“Let’s use this as an opportunity to discuss at least two political reforms together,” Oh Jun-ho, leader of the Basic Income Party, told the DP at a meeting of his party's Supreme Council meeting at its headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Monday.

“Let’s settle the issue of lawmakers serving as Cabinet ministers once and for all,” Oh said. “If checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches matter, there is no reason to let constituency lawmakers serve as ministers while demanding that proportional representation lawmakers give up their seats.”

Oh suggested that lawmakers appointed to the Cabinet give up their National Assembly seats, arguing that elected lawmakers should remain in the legislature to make laws and keep the executive branch in check.

“Let’s put a revision to the National Assembly Act up for public debate that would bar lawmakers from serving as Cabinet ministers, whether they hold constituency or proportional representation seats," Oh said.

Yong withdrew her nomination Sunday, just two weeks after she was tapped for the post. The party's reversal came only days after she had stood firm on keeping her proportional representation seat while serving as minister.

“I will fulfill my role both in the government and in the National Assembly,” Yong said during a press conference on Thursday.

However, three days later, she backed down.

“The DP told me that there was little public consensus on simultaneously serving as a proportional representation lawmaker and a minister, and asked me to make a decision,” Yong said Sunday.

The Basic Income Party had previously defended her plan.

“There have been many comments that there is no precedent for holding both positions, but precedents are created when someone takes on a new challenge and tries a new path,” Shin Ji-hye, a member of the party’s Supreme Council and its spokesperson, told reporters at the National Assembly on Sept. 7. “Our party has continued to ask Yong to hold both positions. My understanding is that the Blue House also conveyed that it hoped she would fully explain the issue to the public during the confirmation hearing process, and we understand that she is preparing for the hearing accordingly.”

Oh also urged that an update to the electoral system is overdue. 

“Let’s reform the electoral system to build coalition politics without satellite parties,” Oh said. “We need more proportional representation seats and a stronger link between votes and seats so that the votes people cast translate as directly as possible into the makeup of the National Assembly.”

Satellite parties,  which major parties have used to maximize their share of proportional representation seats, have been criticized for undermining the electoral system’s goal of giving smaller parties a greater voice. 

He also called for electoral alliances between parties to be formally recognized.

“Let’s also legally allow transparent electoral alliances between parties, so different parties can keep their own names while presenting voters with a joint proportional representation list,” he added.

BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]