Main opposition Democratic Party(DP) Chairman Lee Jae-myung on Monday expressed the party’s intention to effectively maintain the semi-mixed-member proportional representation system for the upcoming general elections and prepare a satellite party.

Lee unveiled the plan in an emergency press conference on the election system during a visit to the May 18 National Cemetery in the southwestern city Gwangju.

The DP chair said that although his party had tried to find an alternative by adopting a parallel proportional representation election system as desired by the ruling People Power Party(PPP) as well as introducing measures to protect minor parties, the PPP opposed the measures.

He continued to say that his party has no choice but to find a way against the ruling party’s foul play in the semi-mixed-member proportional representation system, which he said is incomplete but an important step, and the DP will seek an election victory with the system.

After announcing that he will start preparations for a satellite party, the DP chair offered an apology for failing to keep his promise of banning satellite parties and creating one, seeking public understanding for the move.

The  semi-mixed-member proportional representation system was adopted ahead of the 21st general election to address the shortcomings of the parallel proportional representation system used until the 20th general election.

The DP and minor parties had adopted the system ahead of the 21st general elections in a bid to hinder monopolization and to provide minor parties with a chance of gaining additional seats.

With semi-mixed-member proportional representation, the proportional representation seats are distributed in conjunction with the district seats, making it harder for a party to win proportional seats if it wins a significant number of local constituency seats.

However, major parties set up de facto satellite offshoots, defeating the purpose and consolidating their hegemony in the National Assembly.