PSPD in English About PSPD 2019-11-15   2141

[Annual Report 2018] We demand a Constitutional Reform in the name of the people!

We demand a Constitutional Reform in the name of the people!

#Constitutional Reform #bolstering local-government and decentralization of power #basic human rights #constitutional amendment

 

PSPD proposal for constitutional reform that realizes participatory democracy and strengthens basic human rights.

The 2016-2017 candlelight revolution were not just about impeaching the president, but also about establishing a nation of principles. The demand for a new nation, one based on principles, naturally developed into a demand for constitutional reform. Since August 2017, a serious discussion of constitutional reform started, centered on the National Assembly. PSPD has organized the research group called <The Government Decentralization, Local Autonomy, and Human Rights Research Group> under the Policy Committee since mid-2016, through which we analyzed the limits of the 1987 constitution, and made a blueprint for a new society. PSPD have actively discussed the reorganization of the government power structure and enhancement of basic human rights to change Korea into a community in which everybody participates in politics as a stake-holder, and everybody’s sacred human rights are upheld. After a long 18 months of discussions, surveys, feedback, and general debates, PSPD haㄴ published the <PSPD proposal for constitutional reform>, and submitted it to the National Assembly as a petition for legislation on February of 2018.   

 

Constitutional reform ‘on pause.’ We must attempt constitutional reform again to make a country based on principles.

In October of 2017, 120 civil societies including PSPD formed the network called People’s Network for Constitutional Reform (PNCR). In 2018, we have organized debates on 5 major aspects of constitutional reform  △public participation, △enhancing public sovereignty, human rights, and gender equality, △institutionalizing direct democracy, △bolstering local government and decentralizing power, and △political reform. PNCR has also pressured the National Assembly to settle down on an agreement for constitutional reform. 

 

After long discussions, the civil societies arrived at agreements on 15 different tasks regarding constitutional reform, and submitted them as a petition for legislation. As the National Assembly failed to come to an agreement on the constitutional reform, President Moon put forth his own proposal for constitutional reform in March of 2018. However, the National Assembly still has not made progress discussing constitutional reform, and even the bill to revise the unconstitutional voting laws did not pass parliament. As a result, a national vote regarding the President’s proposal for constitutional reform did not occur as well. The constitutional reform concurrent with the local election became impossible, and the debate for constitutional reform halted.

 

After the local elections, PNCR continued to urge all political parties to come up with a road map for constitutional reform that would specify the timetable for constitutional reform debates and votes. At the moment, it is difficult to push for constitutional reform. However, the constitution written in 1987 does not appropriately reflect the zeitgeist of 2019. Soon, the debate for constitutional reform will start again, and blue prints that were born out of debates held by PSPD and the civil societies will be of major service then. We will wait for the debates of constitutional reform to bloom again, like blossoms in spring time.

 

Main Activities

  • 01/24 [Petition of opinion] Published and submitted the petition with 15 items required for constitutional reform with the People’s Network for Constitutional Reform.
  • 02/26 [Petition for legislation] Held a press conference to present the PSPD’s proposal for constitutional reform.
  • 03/29 [Written opinion] Presented an opinion piece on the president’s proposal for constitutional reform with the People’s Network for Constitutional Reform.
  • 04/18 [Panel discussion] Held a debate between party members and the civil societies to reach an agreement on the constitutional reform.
  • 04/07 [Direct action] Hosted spring busking titled “Democracy Blooms”.
  • 05/14 [Press conference] Held a press conference to denounce the annulment of the constitutional reform and electoral system reform by the National Assembly.
 

정부지원금 0%, 회원의 회비로 운영됩니다

참여연대 후원/회원가입


참여연대 NOW

실시간 활동 SNS

텔레그램 채널에 가장 빠르게 게시되고,

더 많은 채널로 소통합니다. 지금 팔로우하세요!