By By Shim Jae-yun
Published May 9th 2004 in Korea Times
Rep. Chung Dong-young, chairman of the pro-government Uri Party, on Wednesday said he would opt for proportional representation without running in a district for the forthcoming general elections in April 15.
"I will sacrifice myself to help the party win the legislative polls," Chung said during a meeting with the party’s executive officials.
Chung has so far been weighing on running either in Chonju, North Cholla Province or Chongno in Seoul.
"As chairman of the party, it is not appropriate to stick to a certain constituency. Rather, I would exert all possible efforts to help the party emerge as the largest party through the elections,’’ Chung said.
In a show of his willingness to stake all in the elections, Chung volunteered to get the lower order with relatively slim chances of winning the Assembly seat.
``I am determined to devote myself although I would fail to get into the 17th National Assembly,’’ he added.
Chung drew attention when he was elected with landmark victory in the previous two elections under the former President Kim Dae-jung administration.
``If Uri Party wins the elections and become the largest party, the citizens in Chonju will be the most delighted,’’ he said.
Chung came with the decision as mentors advised him to prefer proportional representation as it will help him raise his image as a national leader and a hopeful for next presidential election.
Party members vehemently welcomed Chung’s decision, describing it as self sacrifice for the sake of the party interests.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.