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'Third force' is the key to the nation's democracy

In 1997, UK Labour Party leader Tony Blair gave social democracy a new image with his "third way."

With an emphasis on transcending the traditional battle between left and right, the platform not only revamped the Labour Party, it also integrated fresh right-wing market philosophy and tightened budgets to realize traditional left-wing ideals of equality and distributive justice.

Ten years later, this wave of social democracy has arrived in Taiwan. A trend is developing toward the creation of a "third force" emphasizing the center-left, caring for the lower middle class, supporting disadvantaged groups and promoting sustainable development, as well as transcending the unification-independence dichotomy and other infighting.

This brings the light of reform to the nation's regressing democracy, evokes the rights consciousness of various classes and social groups and puts environmentalism on the political agenda.

The pioneer of this movement is the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).

After the announcement by the TSU's spiritual leader, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), that the party would make a transition toward a European-style, center-left social democratic party, the Third Society Party was the first to follow suit, with the Green Party Taiwan and the Farmers' Party subsequently falling in line.

Yet, compared with the popular support received by New Labour in the UK, this new political force faces serious challenges in building a foundation of support.

There are several barriers: public disappointment in the politicians, leading to a detachment from politics, the inability to respond to the political enthusiasm of the third force and perhaps even a disinclination to vote in the upcoming legislative elections.

Also, the problem of national identity deeply influences the political choices of a majority of Taiwanese -- if you are not blue, then you are green -- making the public wary of a seemingly alien third force.

Tangible barriers include the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party controlling the major political and media resources and intentionally suppressing the emergence of a third force.

The fact that different classes and social groups lack the experience and therefore the awareness and confidence that their individual rights and interests can be realized through democracy, elections and by supporting particular political parties.

Furthermore, the custom of voting for specific political figures poses a great challenge to third force political parties that rely on the party ballot to get past the threshold for election to the legislature.

The failure to integrate the new third force parties under the leadership of the TSU has also scattered public support.

Given these circumstances, there is little optimism for the prospects of a third force in the upcoming legislative election.

But we the public should never give up on our right to reform democracy and we should remain optimistic and hopeful that this will be possible.

If we concentrate our party ballot on the strongest of the third force parties, then the third force may yet play a pivotal role in leading the nation out of its current political storm.

Taiwan's future hangs on the future of this third force.

Margot Chen is a research fellow at Taiwan Advocates, a think tank initiated by former president Lee Teng-hui.

Translated by Angela Hong
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