Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) massive lead in the polls in the run-up to January’s election will be difficult to overturn, so attention is shifting toward what could happen in the legislative elections.
Although legislators-at-large are not directly determined by voters, but rather through the party vote, they are still an important part in determining which party gains a legislative majority.
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) lists of legislator-at-large nominees both follow the will of their respective leaders, and other members have much less ability than the chair to affect the power structure and the list. Despite that, the assessments of the two parties’ lists differ vastly.
Tsai has nominated many new people, including many representing various civic groups, including some from organizations that have been widely praised. This is evidence of a positive development in the relations between the DPP and civic organizations. From the names of politicians on the list it is clear that some prominent DPP members have stepped back. Even DPP Central Standing Committee member Chen Sheng-hung (陳勝宏) and DPP Legislator Hsueh Ling (薛凌), who have always occupied a strong position and been a given on previous legislator-at-large lists, are withdrawing from national politics.
With the exception of former minister of the interior Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), who has been serving as the party’s election committee convener, most of the politicians on the list belong to the younger generation, which shows that Tsai has the power to direct the overall situation.
The KMT’s list has been called the worst one “in history.” It looks stale and more like a division of spoils between factions and vested interests. One media outlet said that “only 12 people will be happy with this list.”
Although the KMT wants to highlight what it said are five “specialists” on the list, the party is muddling over other problems. These five specialists are unknown and there is little consensus behind them, while the politicians on the list lack ideals. The list has been criticized within the party, and Tai Po-te (戴伯特), director of the Huang Fu-hsing (黃復興) military veterans branch, said he would resign in protest.
However, there are more than five names on the list. According to the party’s calculations, the first 18 names on the list are “safe,” but apart from the five specialists, the roster includes no other bright spots.
In addition, the KMT has added a clause demanding that those nominated as at-large legislators run for county commissioner or mayor after two years. The party has said that the list would be used to train future county commissioners and mayors.
Generally, the idea of such training means finding and introducing capable new talent with a good image, but the names on the list are legislators, county commissioners and mayors who have failed to be elected in the past or those who dare not or do not want to run for election, but who have been asked to make a comeback. So the list is proof that the KMT’s talk about training future leaders is just a superficial slogan.
The list is simply a play for local factions and respected senior members who want to maintain a platform within the party following its expected loss in the January polls.
The legislators-at-large list is not a special privilege of the party chairman. Internal democratic procedures should monitor the compilation of the list and the quality of the people chosen. Voters should use such lists as a basis for gauging a party’s idealism and its leaders’ courage, insight and abilities.
The presentations of the legislator-at-large lists are just the beginning.
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