[Actually] “There is no country that elects a party representative through public opinion polls.” What is the truth?

The People's Power National Committee passed a constitutional amendment bill last week that elects the next party representative through a 100% vote of party members without a public opinion poll.

Originally, I was elected as the party representative with 70% of the party member vote and 30% of the general public opinion poll, but based on the opinion poll, I will be elected with 100% of the party member vote.

It has been 18 years since the introduction of public opinion polls in the party's presidential primary in 2004 during the Grand National Party.

Controversy arose over the rule revision even before the revision.

At the center of it was the conflict between the pro-Yun and the non-Yun and factions.

This is because the argument came out that "it is a rule favorable to pro-Yun candidates."

There was a great backlash from former Congressman Yoo Seung-min, representative of non-yun.

Former Congressman Yoo was evaluated as 'inferior' in the party, but this is because the approval rating of opinion polls was relatively high, centering on the middle class. 

As a result, 'overseas cases' were often discussed within the party. 

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In other words, it means that the world's major developed countries do not elect party representatives through public opinion polls.

Indeed, the SBS Fact Check team actually checked how major national political parties elect party leaders. 

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Let's start with the US Democrats. 

The chairperson of the National Committee (DNC), the party's representative, is elected by a majority vote of the Democratic National Committee.

The National Committee is made up of 200 members from each Democratic state.

5.2 The National Chairperson may be elected and removed by a majority vote of the Democratic National Committee.

5.2 The National Chairperson shall be elected and may be removed by a majority vote of the Democratic National Committee - Charter of the Democratic National Committee 

And it says that all members must be qualified as party members.

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Republicans are no different.

They are also elected by the Republican National Committee (RNC).

5-a-1 Chairperson and co-chairperson of the opposite sex elected by members of the Republican National Committee.

5-a-1 A chairman and a co-chairman of the opposite sex who shall be elected by the members of the Republican National Committee.

- United States Republican Party Rules

For both Democrats and Republicans, the state leaders that make up the National Committee are elected by the State Committee, and non-partisan members are not allowed to participate in those elections.

As a federal state, the United States revolves around the activities of state-level representatives rather than federal-level representatives, who are elected by the 'partisan mind' of party members, and those elected leaders elect the federal leadership, and so on.

Ultimately, the leadership of an American political party is determined by its membership.

Britain is next.

In the case of the Conservative Party, it is elected through a party representative contest in which party members participate, and is supervised by the chairman of the '1922 Committee'.

The 1922 Committee originated from a meeting in 1922 where some Conservative Party members discussed the identity of the party, and since then, it has been dedicated to the process and supervision of the election of the party's representative as it grows.

In terms of us, it can be seen as the National Party Convention Election Commission.

Looking at the constitution of the British Conservative Party, it also explicitly stipulates 'member voting'.

The candidate who receives 50% or more of the votes cast is elected as the party leader. 

1. The Party Leader is elected by Party Members and Scottish Party Members. 

1. The Leader shall be elected by the Party Members and Scottish Party Members.

- British Conservative Party Constitution

In Germany, the political party law specifies the procedure for electing the leadership (board) of a political party.

The board of directors is elected at least every two years.

It must consist of at least three members.

§ 11 Vorstand (1) Der Vorstand wird mindestens in jedem zweiten Kalenderjahr gewählt.

Er muß aus mindestens drei Mitgliedern bestehen.

- Article 11 of the German Political Parties Act

A report published by our Election Commission on <How to Elect Candidates and Leadership of Political Parties, Party Integration, Party Alliances, and Electoral Solidarity> writes that "German political parties do not allow non-party members to participate in the election of leaders."

Likewise, the report explains that France and Australia are no different.

In the case of Australia, each political party has no party constitution that says that only party members can participate in leadership elections, but customarily grants voting rights only to party members.

After all, it can be seen as 'largely true' that major political parties in many major countries do not give voting rights to non-members when electing party leaders.

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However, in fact, as the team investigated, there were exceptions.

It did not necessarily prevent non-partisan voting.

Even if it wasn't until the polls, there were cases where voting was given to non-party members who shared the philosophy and spirit of the party.

The British Labor Party is a prime example.

Of course, the Labor Party also states in its constitution that party members are entitled to vote in party representative elections.

13. A person who has the right to vote in the party representative election is a party member who has been registered as a party member for 18 months or more before the nomination deadline and has been registered as a paid member for 21 days or more before the election day.

13. At an election for Party Leader, those entitled to vote are members whose membership was registered for at least 18 months prior to the date of the close of nominations and who were registered as paid up members at least 21 days prior to the election day .

- British Labor Party Constitution

However, in fact, when the team looked at the Labor Party website, it gave the right to vote for the party representative even if the team was not a member of the labor union in the case of industrial union members affiliated with the Labor Party.

There are 11 trade unions with voting rights.

It includes the National Mining Workers' Union (NUM), the Transport Employees Association (TSSA), the Railroad Locomotive Engineers Association (ASLEF), and the Communications Workers' Union (Community). 

Labor Party-affiliated trade unions and institutional membership: The trade union is the parent organization that oversees the activities of the 11 trade unions that cooperate with the Labor Party. 

Affiliated trades unions and groups: Labor Unions is the umbrella organization that coordinates the activities of the 11 trade unions who affiliate to the Labor Party.

- British Labor Party website

According to the British BBC report, the Labor Party customarily defines those who have paid 25 pounds (about 40,000 won) as 'registered supporters', and it is said that they can participate on a one-time basis.

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Japan is similar.

In addition to party members, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan is said to give voting rights to members of the Free People's Assembly and the National Political Association.

Chapter 1: The election of the president is determined by public elections among members of the National Assembly, party members, members of the Free National Assembly, and members of the National Political Association

. 、党員、Freedom of the People's Republic of Korea Members of the National People's Party of Korea Members of the Government of Japan

The Liberal People's Assembly and the National Political Association are the LDP's out-of-party support organizations.

Some point out that it is in fact under the control of the Liberal Democratic Party leadership. 

However, when I went to the website of the Liberal National Association, they explained that they were not 'members' of the LDP, but 'party members', and wrote that they had no obligations as party members because they were outsiders of the LDP.

Q. What is the difference between a member of the LDP and a party member?

A. Party members have obligations because they are members of a party.

Dangwoo will always be an outsider who agrees with the policies of the LDP.

Since you are not a member, no obligation arises.

Question

_ 。構成員ではないので義務は発生しません。 - Q&A on the Free National Assembly website

The rules of the Democratic Party of Japan allow "supporters" who are not party members to participate in the party representative election.

A supporter is a person who pays a fixed membership fee.

From our point of view, it seems that if you pay money, you become a member of the party, but looking at the rules, the phrase "party members are excluded" catches my eye.

Chapter 5: Individuals over the age of 18 (including foreigners residing in Japan and foreigners residing in Japan) who support the Democratic Party or Democratic Party candidates in the region, and those who have registered with the general branch by paying the prescribed membership fee (excluding party members) are supporters.

…

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Have the right to vote in accordance with the provisions of the Representative Election

し、総支部に登録した者（党員を除く）をサポーターとする。…

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Bylaws of the Democratic Party of Japan

In the end, major political parties in developed countries are voting for party members when electing leadership, but it has been confirmed that there are cases in which non-members are given the right to vote even if they are not members of the party if they are judged to share the party's philosophy and spirit. 

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However, I hope this fact check will not be read as a political cause that is advantageous to a specific person.

No matter how good the cause is, there are many things to consider politically.

This is because each country has its own political specificity.

For example, there is a strong perception that the political parties in the above countries represent a specific philosophy and spirit, but our political party has a light philosophical color, so it can be argued that it should be more sensitive to the cause of the people as a whole.

I hope viewers will judge this part.

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The SBS fact-finding team fact-checked the remarks of some members of the People's Power that "there is no country that elects a party representative through an opinion poll."

As a result of directly checking the party constitution and regulations of major countries and major political parties, it was confirmed that only party members are given the right to vote in selecting the party representative.

In fact, the team judges the above claim as 'mostly true'.

However, even if it wasn't until the poll, I was able to confirm several cases of giving non-party members the right to vote and expanding their scope.

As the political environment differs from country to country, it will be clear that we need to discuss which party representative election method is suitable for us.