Groups within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are expected to vie for high-level positions at the party’s national congress today in Taipei, while leading party figures are to stump for its Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁).
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), as party chairwoman, is to oversee the event, which has chosen “Unite for Taiwan, Go Forward in the World” as its theme.
On the agenda is the election of the party’s core power structure, which consists of the decisionmaking bodies of the Central Executive Committee and Central Standing Committee.
Photo: Su Fun-her, Taipei Times
The party’s charter stipulates that the congress must elect 30 members for the executive committee, from which party members would choose 10 to make up the standing committee.
The party in 2006 resolved to dissolve its factions in a move to bolster party unity, although the groupings are still recognized by many inside and outside the DPP.
High-ranking party insiders said former New Tide faction members would likely pick up three seats for the standing committee, represented by Taipei City councilors Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) and Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) and Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) from Kaohsiung.
Two seats are expected to go to the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association, which has aligned with “Ing’s Clique” — a group of party members close to Tsai — with the former to nominate Central Standing Committee member Chen Mao-sung (陳茂松) and Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃), while Ing’s Clique would nominate former national policy adviser Huang Cheng-kuo (黃承國) and Legislator Su Chen-ching (蘇震清), party insiders said.
Also for the Central Standing Committee, Premier Su Tseng-chang’s (蘇貞昌) supporters are expected to take one seat, likely for Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡), while one seat could go to media mogul Lin Kun-hai’s (林崑海) group, which is pushing for Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), the sources said.
Lin’s group would reportedly also contest the final seat against the “Green Friendship Coalition,” who are expected to nominate Legislator Mark Ho (何志偉), while Lin’s supporters would likely counter with Taiyen Biotech chairman Chen Chi-yu (陳啟昱), the sources said.
Another position of contention is chairperson of the DPP Central Review Committee, with Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) reportedly favored by Ing’s Clique while others are reportedly aligned to Kaohsiung City Councilor Kang Yu-cheng (康裕成), they added.
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