NEBDC to Hold 2017 2nd and 3rd Political Party Policy Debates

= Second debate scheduled for December 11, third debate for December 12 =

= Political parties should show responsibility by participating in the debate =

The National Election Broadcasting Debates Commission (NEBDC) held a full committee meeting on November 21 and announced that it was decided that the second and third political party policy debates would be held on December 11 and 12 respectively at the MBC’s Sangam studio. 

The parties that will participate in this debate are the seven political parties which receive national subsidies: The Minjoo Party of Korea, The Liberty Korea Party, The People’s Party, The Bareun Party, The Justice Party, The Minjung Party and the Korean Patriots’ Party. 

The NEBDC said that the first round of debate was cancelled due to six political parties, all except for the Korean Patriots’ Party, being unable to participate and therefore it was decided that the second and third debates will be held in succession. The NEBDC also said that the topics, debate rules and moderator would be decided and announced after further discussion. 

In order to promote party politics in a representative democracy, the party policy debate system, in which political parties present their policies to citizens through broadcasted debates, notifies the citizens of each parties’ platform and policies. The system is stipulated in the Political Parties Act to ensure that the parties are answerable to the concerns of the citizens. 

The NEBDC also announced that if the second and third party policy debates are cancelled, a total cost of 80 million won will be incurred when including the costs of the first cancelled debate, and is therefore requesting each party to fulfil their responsibilities and participate in the debate to ensure it can go ahead. 

In addition, In order to prevent a system in which the debates stipulated in the Political Parties Act is dependent on the decision of the political parties to participate, the NEBDC emphasized that there will be a need to prepare policies that guarantee the attendance of parties such as reducing government subsidies to political parties that do not attend the party policy debate in the future.