The DPP got its wish: To become the largest party in the legislature.
By the time the ballot counting was finished yesterday, the party had captured 87 seats in the lawmaking body -- winning 36 percent of the vote. The DPP also replaces its arch rival the KMT as the largest party in the legislature.
Though the outcome is inadequate to secure the party majority control of the legislature, the results are expected to make it easier for President Chen shui-bian (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
In the run-up to yesterday's polls, the main opposition parties painted the contest as a referendum on the Chen administration.
The KMT, swept from its long grip on power last year, finished a distant second with 73 seats, down from 123 in the previous legislative elections in 1998. The former ruling party had hoped to retain at least 85 seats, which would have allowed it more voice in the formation of a post-election Cabinet.
The KMT has been eyeing those Cabinet posts responsible for making the nation's economic and financial policy.
KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
While he made no mention if he or any other party official would step down to take responsibility for the KMT's poor showing in the polls, he did hint that he might have changed his mind on the idea of working with the DPP administration.
``We did not win,'' said Lien. ``But we are still the largest opposition party. We will step up negotiations with others, so we can together help stabilize politics.''
As anticipated, the elections confirmed the People First Party's (PFP) standing as the third largest party in Taiwan. The party bagged 46 seats with 20 percent of the votes, successful doubling its presence in the legislature.
The vote count, though impressive, was not enough to secure PFP Chairman James Soong (
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) emerged as a big winner, increasing its number of seats in the legislature from one to 13. The party also passed the 5 percent threshold needed to win legislator-at-large seats and campaign-matching funds.
But the DPP and TSU's seats are not enough to give the "pan-green" alliance the votes needed to overcome opposition resistance and pass the government's policy initiatives in the legislature.
The New Party was undoubtedly the biggest loser in the legislative races. The pro-unification party retained only one seat representing Kinmen, down from 11 in the 1998 polls.
The party failed to meet the 5-percent threshold, denying it the rights to claim legislator-at-large seats or form a caucus in the legislature.
Some New Party members have talked about rejoining the KMT to keep its pro-unification cause alive.
Not surprisingly, John Chang (章孝嚴), the illegitimate son of late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and a former foreign minister, won a seat from the southern district of Taipei City with 46,263 votes.
Other big-name candidates winning seats were the DPP's Lou Wen-chia (
A high percentage of incumbents lost their bid to win elections. They include New Party lawmakers Hsieh Chi-ta (
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
The arrival of a cold front tomorrow could plunge temperatures into the mid-teens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Temperatures yesterday rose to 28°C to 30°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and 32°C to 33°C in central and southern Taiwan, CWA data showed. Similar but mostly cloudy weather is expected today, the CWA said. However, the arrival of a cold air mass tomorrow would cause a rapid drop in temperatures to 15°C cooler than the previous day’s highs. The cold front, which is expected to last through the weekend, would bring steady rainfall tomorrow, along with multiple waves of showers
RSS