Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has sought to portray himself as an alternative to Taiwan’s more established leaders, proposing what he calls a “pragmatic” approach to China ties that might attract some younger voters.
While the Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has described the Jan. 13 election as a choice between “democracy or autocracy,” the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been more open to ties with Beijing, branding itself as the “party of peace” with China.
Ko, a surgeon-turned-Taipei mayor and the main challenger to the two dominant parties, said in a recent interview that he sees himself as a “reasonable, pragmatic” outsider.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
“A great many middle voters, especially young people, cannot stand the blue and green parties anymore,” he said, referring to the leading parties.
“In the past 30 years, the ideologies of [declaring] independence or unification [with China] have divided Taiwan,” he said, adding that he believes many Taiwanese would rather focus on “our real problems.”
Ko pointed to a string of issues, such as water, land and work shortages, but would discuss concrete policies.
His brash rhetorical style has won him some support — especially from younger voters — but critics say he has flip-flopped on issues depending on his audience.
Last month, his outsider image was dented when he entered into a tentative alliance with the KMT.
The unity bid collapsed over a disagreement on who would head the presidential ticket, resulting in a public argument waged in front of Taiwan’s bemused press corps.
Polls see-saw on voters’ approval for Ko — putting him either second or third in a three-horse race, with the DPP in first place — but his rallies appear to pull supporters of all ages, including younger voters who have previously voted for the ruling party.
“I feel like there’s been no change [under the DPP’s administration] and it’s been eight years,” 29-year-old Abby Cheng, who works in sales for a tech company, said at a recent rally.
The Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation branded the rise of Ko’s party “truly phenomenal,” while political scientist Sung Wen-ti (宋文笛) said a strong third party in Taiwan could force a more meaningful policy debate between the two main parties.
“However, that’s not what we have,” Sung said. “No, it’s just about simple, anti-establishment populism ... that lets people let off steam.”
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS