Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has won praise for his governance and has been described as “presidential.” However, when a 52-year-old politician is tapped as a party’s “rising young star,” the party might be in trouble.
While it is true that New Taipei City (新北市) Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), Lai’s former college classmate, shares the same acclaim as a possible Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate, a deeper examination would find that the DPP has lagged far behind the KMT in terms of developing young talent.
The current crop of DPP leaders still include those known as “the Formosa Magazine generation,” including DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), 66; former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), 69; former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), 67; former premier Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃), 65; and Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), 63. Former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is the youngest at 57.
What is scary is that some of them are either eyeing the DPP chairmanship or planning to enter the county commissioner and mayoral elections next year.
Looking down the list of the aspirants, hardly anyone emerges as a refreshing candidate, the exception being 49-year-old DPP Legislator Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), who is trying to win nomination in Greater Taichung.
In comparison, the KMT has nurtured a group of young politicians over the years, with some already serving as mayors and county commissioners and others waiting in the wings.
To name a few, former KMT deputy secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) is only 43 years old, the same age as Sean Lien (連勝文), a son of former vice president Lien Chan (連戰). Taoyuan County Commissioner John Wu (吳志揚) is 44. Former Executive Yuan spokesperson Su Chun-pin (蘇俊賓) is 37, while former National Youth Commission minister Chen Yi-chen (陳以真) is 36.
In a challenging time of rapidly changing cross-strait relations, it would be difficult for the DPP to win younger people’s votes if it runs with the same politicians from 30 years ago.
It is not that the DPP does not have aspiring young members who want to devote their energy and ideals to politics. However, it seems two factors have prevented them from rising in the party.
First, the older politicians have been resisting the call for a “generational shift.” While younger is not necessarily better in politics, the lack of upward mobility has not only hindered younger DPP members’ political careers, but has also alienated a younger base of core supporters.
Second, the long stretch without a generational shift has made young DPP members less courageous and adventurous than their predecessors. Many young members are satisfied with being staffers or aides and not interested in running for office.
The phenomenon would likely further alienate voters in the elections in the short term, since the older politicians could fail to present new ideas and initiatives, and hurt the party’s development.
Lacking the KMT’s financial resources and solid grassroots organization, the last thing the DPP needs is to lose the competition for fresh faces.
It once led the way in this area. In 2000, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) won the presidential election at 47 and brought with him a group of young politicians, such as Lo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) and Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成), both of whom were in their 30s, to his administration.
The party introduced then-56-year-old Tsai in last year’s presidential election as a young voice for the next generation. Regardless of how ironic the introduction may have been, the DPP cannot hope to look youthful given the current potential candidates for national elections, and time will not help the prospects of an aging party.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath