The nation's political parties are emphasizing efforts to bring in new blood, but some observers doubt that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will be able to compete with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the battle to recruit and cultivate younger talent.
As more and more young DPP members are appointed to governmental offices, the KMT, which is preoccupied with generational issues of power, should quicken its process of bringing in new blood in order to revitalize the party, political analysts say.
The DPP's success in cultivating political talent can be seen in a recent series of appointments of younger politicians to the Cabinet. These include the appointment of Legislator Luo Wen-jia (
In addition, many young members of the DPP elite are poised to run in the year-end legislative elections.
Blue hawks
Meanwhile, inside the KMT, a group known as "blue hawks," from the party's Chunghsing [Rejuvenation] Elite Group (
Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒), editor-in-chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine, says that the promotion of the DPP's younger generation is a natural way for President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to build a team of professional politicians to prepare his party for long-term administration.
"Chen himself is a young president and therefore his appointing politicians of the younger generation is natural. Unlike 2000, when the DPP had to borrow talent from the KMT in order to fill out the Cabinet, Chen's appointing his own people this time demonstrates his determination to cultivate the DPP's homegrown professional politicians," Chin said.
Power hierarchy
Chin said that it will be very difficult for the KMT to overhaul itself because it has failed to gain the presidency for a second time running and can now only focus on the legislative elections, or elections for mayors or county commissioners, to demonstrate its political capabilities.
Ger Yeong-kuang (
Ger said the KMT should strive for an even representation of old, middle-aged and young talent so that each generation can contribute in the ways it is most suited to.
Ger said the KMT, which was in power for more than five decades, has ignored much of the political talent that it cultivated over the years.
"What the KMT urgently needs to do is to promote middle-generation elites, who are now in their 40s or 50s. Otherwise they will have to face losing even more of their support," Ger said.
Since the legislature is now one of the few realms in which the KMT can demonstrate its potential, Ger suggested that the KMT nominate more top-notch legislators-at-large to revamp the party's image.
"The KMT's current legislators-at-large are pretty lousy. If the party could nominate more qualified candidates, with clean images, professionalism and a sound educational background, that would boost the party's chances in the year-end legislative elections," Ger said.
To allow a fair playing field for the party's young members and to provide a counterbalance to the professed strategy of KMT Vice Chairman Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who has said that the party's legislative nominations will focus on incumbent lawmakers, Ger said that the KMT should establish a fair nomination mechanism to ensure that both incumbents and challengers have equal chances to compete.
Experienced hands
"The incumbents enjoy advantages because of their current position as lawmakers, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily more capable and qualified than their challengers," Ger said.
However, Emile Sheng (
"A transfer of power to the younger generation can't happen just for the sake of it; it should happen according to a long-term plan," Sheng said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at