The stakes wagered by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on the results of yesterday's elections were unprecedented for what were, after all, elections for city mayors, county commissioners and other local posts.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) both vowed to step down from their posts if their party did not win more than half of the counties and cities in which nominations were made.
The voters have presented their verdict -- and it looks like it is time for some serious reform within the ranks of the DPP, while the KMT can sigh in relief for now.
The DPP made 19 nominations in total, but won only six seats, four seats short of its target of 10. The KMT made 20 nominations and won a total of 14, surpassing its target of 11.
Those who still refuse to see these results as a warning for the DPP are not doing the party any favors, but fortunately for the party there is plenty of time to remedy the problems before the next major elections come around.
The DPP lost a total of five seats, Taipei, Ilan, Changhua and Nantou counties, as well as Chiayi City, while gaining Yunlin County.
It is alarming for the party that all the northern counties that the DPP held have now been lost. All six counties won by the DPP are located in the south.
But the jewel in the crown was Taipei County. Su had good reason for including defeat in this county as one of the criteria for his resignation. It is not only the most heavily populated county in the country, but because of its proximity to the capital, the ability to mobilize the county's support will be crucial for the next presidential election.
With Ma and Su eagerly eyeing the next presidential race, the importance of winning Taipei County was no secret. Victory for the KMT's nominee, Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), marks the first time in 16 years that the pan-blues have tasted victory there.
Then there is Ilan County. Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) should have been able to win that race with his eyes shut. After all, he had served as county commissioner before and was exceedingly popular there as well as during his term as minister of justice. A strong DPP candidate in a county that is traditionally a DPP stronghold -- what went wrong? That is only one of the questions the DPP should be pondering right now.
The importance of these elections to the KMT derives from the fact that they were the first under the leadership of Ma.
Commentators have argued that the outcome of these elections would be a good indication of the strength of Ma's leadership. And now that the KMT has performed very well, it is widely believed that the internal rifts and turmoil that were generated by the KMT chairmanship race may subside for the moment.
It seems that the era of Ma Ying-jeou has officially started. The DPP had better start preparing itself for some tough challenges ahead. Finding out where it has gone wrong in recent years is the first step to meeting those challenges.
US President Donald Trump created some consternation in Taiwan last week when he told a news conference that a successful trade deal with China would help with “unification.” Although the People’s Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan, Trump’s language struck a raw nerve in Taiwan given his open siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression seeking to “reunify” Ukraine and Russia. On earlier occasions, Trump has criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the US’ chip industry and for relying too much on the US for defense, ominously presaging a weakening of US support for Taiwan. However, further examination of Trump’s remarks in
It is being said every second day: The ongoing recall campaign in Taiwan — where citizens are trying to collect enough signatures to trigger re-elections for a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — is orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or even President William Lai (賴清德) himself. The KMT makes the claim, and foreign media and analysts repeat it. However, they never show any proof — because there is not any. It is alarming how easily academics, journalists and experts toss around claims that amount to accusing a democratic government of conspiracy — without a shred of evidence. These
China on May 23, 1951, imposed the so-called “17-Point Agreement” to formally annex Tibet. In March, China in its 18th White Paper misleadingly said it laid “firm foundations for the region’s human rights cause.” The agreement is invalid in international law, because it was signed under threat. Ngapo Ngawang Jigme, head of the Tibetan delegation sent to China for peace negotiations, was not authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the Tibetan government and the delegation was made to sign it under duress. After seven decades, Tibet remains intact and there is global outpouring of sympathy for Tibetans. This realization
Taiwan is confronting escalating threats from its behemoth neighbor. Last month, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted live-fire drills in the East China Sea, practicing blockades and precision strikes on simulated targets, while its escalating cyberattacks targeting government, financial and telecommunication systems threaten to disrupt Taiwan’s digital infrastructure. The mounting geopolitical pressure underscores Taiwan’s need to strengthen its defense capabilities to deter possible aggression and improve civilian preparedness. The consequences of inadequate preparation have been made all too clear by the tragic situation in Ukraine. Taiwan can build on its successful COVID-19 response, marked by effective planning and execution, to enhance
RSS