Over half the people in the country believe that the ruling DPP's incorruptible reputation has been greatly eroded since it took power in 2000, a public opinion poll said yesterday.
"Though our survey indicates the KMT remains the most corrupt party in the public eye, those respondents obviously expressed their disappointment with the quick decline of the DPP, which won the presidential election with its reform-oriented and upright image," said Timothy Ting (
The foundation has a long-term relationship with the New Party and the KMT and has conducted several polls for the two parties.
This most recent telephone survey was carried out between Jan. 10 and Jan. 14.
Of the 1,140 respondents, 59 percent said that the KMT is not incorruptible. Figures for the DPP, PFP and TSU were 53 percent, 44 percent and 43 percent, respectively.
"The results showed that people have lost confidence in all political parties," Ting said. "I think the recent vote-buying case in the election for the Kaohsiung City Council Speaker is a key event enhancing the impression of the public that all parties are equally dirty."
He pointed out that the case -- in which the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office has accused councilors from all three main political parties of taking bribes from independent councilor Chu An-hsiung (
Ting stressed that the poll also showed that people do not trust the country's judiciary system and seriously question whether the courts can remain neutral and independent.
"More than 62 percent of respondents said that they didn't believe that the country's judiciary system is just and impartial when making verdicts, and only 16 percent of respondents expressed confidence in the courts," Ting said.
"The results of our poll have shown that the crisis of confidence in politics and the judiciary is expanding," he added.
The second topic of the poll surveyed the support for possible candidates in next year's presidential election.
The results indicated that more than 48 percent of respondents expect the pan-blue alliance -- including the KMT, the PFP and the New Party -- to merge into one party, in order to help win back the presidency.
The results also showed that if the pan-blue alliance could successfully support a single ticket -- with one presidential candidate and one vice presidential candidate -- that ticket would receive more support than President Chen Shui-bian (
"Most respondents, who are supporters of the pan-blue alliance, clearly say that the key to beating the DPP's Chen-Lu ticket is to merge into one political party," Ting said.
During the presidential election three years ago, the foundation published several polls, which all showed that the KMT's Lien-Siew ticket was leading then-independent candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) and the DPP's Chen-Lu ticket.
The foundation even published a poll that said more than 47 percent of the public supported Bei-jing's "One country, two systems," model for China and Taiwan.
The result of that particular survey was so out of line with other polls at the time that the credibility of the institute has since been questioned.
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