A recent survey by the local China Times showed that public approval ratings for the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP) are running at a high 42 percent. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was second in the level of public approval at 33 percent. Its ally, the People First Party (PFP) unexpectedly scored last, after the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).
The results of the poll echoed one conducted by Formosa Survey Research two months ago. That poll also showed that the post-election protests launched by the pan-blue alliance against the legitimacy of President Chen Shui-bian's (
The more hawkish approach that the pan-blue camp has taken since the March 20 presidential election is the key to their loss of public confidence. In the beginning, both parties had diverse "exit strategies" to deal with what they characterized as the Chen's "illegitimate" administration. The PFP's more radical appeals to challenge the judiciary contributed to a severe erosion of its own political support.
Furthermore, while most pan-blue supporters anticipate a KMT-PFP merger, political considerations are preventing the merger until after the December legislative elections. PFP chairman James Soong (
Ironically, as the PFP's base of support weakens, individual PFP candidates can no longer stay quiet as the PFP goes down a dead-end road. PFP legislator Diane Lee (
Now even the internal divisions within the PFP are coming to the surface. This complicates the KMT and PFP's ability to cooperate and move ahead together. The question is not how and when the KMT and PFP should merge, but rather whether or not the PFP will be absorbed by the KMT.
Why can't the pan-blue camp learn lessons from the past on failing to unite? In elections, you shouldn't get so carried away with being so gracious in victory that you forget what you were fighting for. All victories are fleeting. So when you win one, move quickly and decisively to consolidate your gains. This way you will avoid being dragged down by past glory, and avoid an obstructionist role.
Yes, the pan-blue camp's enemy is themselves. The fact that Chen and the pan-green camp are more united than their opponents in dealing with the post-election political dynamics constitutes the key reason for their increased political support.
Most people are tired of endless political finger-pointing. Nor are they interested in seeing who the leading competitors are for the next presidency in 2008. What the voters crave most is for the country to get back on the right track. Prospects look even more favorable for the pan-green camp if Lien and Soong persist in their unrealistic fantasy of overturning the last presidential election.
The best political picture after the year-end legislative election, therefore, will be a steady two-party system. As the New Party tilts toward the KMT and the PFP self-destructs, the pan-blue camp's base of support should remain solid. However, as the pan-green camp incrementally enlarges its piece of the political pie, it will attract more moderate and swing voters.
Liu Kuan-teh is a Taipei-based political commentator.
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
RSS