Though they share similar beliefs and political ideologies, cooperation between the DPP and Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) is not guaranteed to be smooth, political observers say.
One of the main issues that could come between the two pro-Taiwan parties is the sharing of power, analysts say.
If the DPP doesn't handle the relationship with its younger sister carefully, the party runs the risk of losing the backing of its closest ideological ally.
"In Taiwan, partisan coalitions based merely on a similarity in beliefs would be very shaky, as Taiwan's politics are not controlled by parties, but by local factions," said David Huang (
"Parties are no more than an election machine. Once the election is over, each individual politician will be his own master."
Huang said that while former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was a main factor in the TSU's strong showing in the polls earlier this month, the importance of local factions should not be underestimated.
As a result, cooperation between the DPP and TSU cannot rely solely on agreements reached by the two parties' high-ranking officials.
The DPP must also be ready to provide the TSU with resources and power, so that TSU lawmakers are willing to collaborate, Huang said.
The four-month-old pro-Taiwan party garnered 13 seats in this month's legislative elections -- largely as a result of Lee's support.
Lee founded the party to help bring stability to the unruly legislature. Because of the DPP and TSU's support of pro-localization policies, the two are natural allies.
But cooperation between the two has not always been smooth.
During the election campaign, for example, DPP members complained loudly that the TSU would siphon away voters from the party.
DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) once ridiculed the TSU's nominees as "second-rate."
Distrust between the two continued after the polls. DPP officials were upset because the TSU early in the election aftermath pledged support for Wang Jin-pyng's (王金平) bid to seek re-election as legislative speaker.
DPP members also say that Lee has been stealing the limelight from President Chen Shui-bian (
With the constant bickering, analysts say there's no way the TSU will "unconditionally" support the DPP government. The DPP must learn "the art of power-sharing," they say.
And while many of the disputes between the DPP and TSU have been over power, analysts say there are areas where the two differ on policy, the main one being cross-strait relations.
Political watchers say the two parties need to step up negotiations to iron out the disparities.
"In terms of the cross-strait issues, Lee and Chen hold rather disparate perspectives," said Philip Yang (楊永明), associate professor of political science at National Taiwan University.
"While Chen has softened his stance by ... relaxing restrictions on business investment in China, Lee remains a hard-liner," Yang said.
China could also view the DPP's alliance with the TSU with suspicion, the professor said.
"Chen has to know how to skillfully deal with imminent problems. Domestically, Lee serves as his best partner. But how Beijing will react to the DPP's cooperation with Lee -- China's most-hated Taiwanese politician -- should be closely watched."
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
RSS