Leaders of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday pledged to work together to promote a shared vision they said would benefit the public ahead of, and beyond, the 2028 presidential election.
Speaking at a news conference in New Taipei City, KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said her party and the TPP outlined issues that the two parties would tackle together, including high housing prices, low wages and the low birthrate.
They would also discuss responses to the rapid development of artificial intelligence and climate change, she said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The parties would soon begin discussions on how to coordinate for the local elections scheduled for Nov. 28.
Cheng criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) “ideological governance,” which she said has intensified partisan politics.
The KMT-TPP partnership would adhere to democratic principles and remain accountable to voters and supporters, she said.
TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said 10 years ago, then-president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had promised to build a better future for young people, but a decade later, under President William Lai’s (賴清德) leadership, Taiwan has the world’s lowest birthrate and fastest-aging population.
Stagnant wages and skyrocketing housing prices have made young people hesitant to start families, he said, adding that the government has taken the lead at exacerbating political divisions among the public.
When then-TPP chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on May 20, 2023, announced his presidential candidacy, he announced his hopes to create a harmonious society through a coalition-style government to foster an inclusive and united Taiwan, Huang said.
The TPP has never forgotten Ko’s words and would continue to advance that principle, Huang added.
“Over the years, the two parties have demonstrated that, despite their distinct identities and positions, they can work together for Taiwan and find common ground,” he said. “From legislation to local joint governance, this cooperation goes beyond election alliances and does not involve exchanging positions of power.”
The TPP and the KMT would soon draft a cooperation agreement detailing the rules on the nomination process for the Nov. 28 local elections, Huang said.
The two parties have agreed to assign three representatives each to determine the specifics of the agreement, Huang said, adding that the nominations would likely be based on opinion polls.
“The paramount objective of the agreement is to identify the strongest candidates using the best method, and so far, the best method seems to be opinion polls,” he said.
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