The People First Party's (PFP) campaign platform for the Dec. 1 elections can be summed up in the phrase "striving to save Taiwan."
To achieve their goal, the party proposes revitalizing the economy, improving the administrative system, reforming the legislature and stabilizing cross-strait relations.
"The PFP will bring dignity and hope for Taiwan. We will find a direction for Taiwan and let the people be dignified and brave Taiwanese," PFP Chairman James Soong (
"The elections are a competition between the competent and incompetent. The people should not support a party which is good only at finding excuses for its incompetence."
The PFP proposes setting up a social security system and employment security network that includes unemployment insurance, employment services and vocational training.
To help create a "low-tax, high-growth-rate" economy, the PFP promises to control excessive government spending to prevent financial conditions from worsening and reform the tax system.
The party also wants to speed up reform of the financial system. It would do this by integrating finance-related laws to set up a uniform system for financial monitoring and management which would protect the rights and interests of investors and depositors.
To improve the investment environment, the PFP suggests stabilizing water and power supplies, providing low-cost land to investors and offering tax and loan incentives to encourage industrial development and research.
The party proposes that Taiwan make use of the Chinese market and resources to develop its economy by opening up direct cross-strait shipping and trade.
The uneven development of Taiwan's regions has also been targeted by the PFP. It proposes splitting Taiwan into four zones in order to better focus resources on lagging areas.
The plan calls for the south to focus on high-value, low pollution manufacturing; the east to promote tourism; the center to act as the hub of cross-strait trade and shipping; and the north will be promoted as the hub of commerce, finance and high-tech industries.
The PFP also pledges to reform the administrative system by regulating political contributions, lobbying and political parties to prevent conflicts of interest.
It also wants to introduce business management principles in the government and adjust the pay of civil servants to reflect their efficiency.
Regarding legislative reform, the PFP supports reducing the number of seats to 100 from the current 225, adopting a "single-district, two-vote" system for legislative elections and establishing a seniority system among lawmakers. In the two-vote system, citizens vote once for a candidate and once for a party.
To stabilize the political landscape, the PFP will insist that the president respect the majority in the legislature and abide by the semi-presidential constitutional framework.
Regarding cross-strait relations, the PFP proposes Taiwan and China seek to resume talks based on the "1992 consensus."
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