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TSU is ready to capitalize on the legislative elections

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) is now viewed by many academics and commentators as the political party that has the most potential to expand its legislative seats in the December election. As the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) legislative seats are seen as having reached a saturation point, while the TSU could still win more support because it is seen as the party most committed to a Taiwan-centered identity.

Though the pan-green camp secured a total of 100 legislative seats in the 2001 legislative elections -- with the DPP gaining 87 and the TSU acquiring 13 -- it did not win a majority in the 225-seat Legislative Yuan. That has put the DPP government at a disadvantage in trying to pass bills over the pan-blue camp's relentless opposition for the past three years.

Winning a legislative majority is therefore a key goal for the DPP in December. However, with just 92 nominees for district legislators and 31 nominees for legislators-at-large, the DPP will not be able to achieve a pan-green majority without the TSU's help.

"We don't think that the pan-blue camp will predominate in the legislature this time," said DPP Legislator Julian Kuo (郭正亮). "But we can't be too optimistic that we can take its place." He added that the pan-blue camp's conservative nominations, which aim to ensure that its candidates appeal to the party's base, were another major obstacle to the DPP's attaining its goal.

"It will be a big challenge for the DPP to increase its legislative seats this time, since we grabbed most of the seats that we expected to last election," Kuo said. "I predict we will only gain a few more [legislative seats]."

Consequently, the burgeoning TSU party will shoulder the responsibility of challenging the pan-blue camp in order to win a majority for the pan-greens.

Commenting on the TSU's competition and cooperation with the DPP, TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) said that the party understood its role in this legislative election and will cooperate to achieve the goal of winning half of the legislature. The party's ultimate goal, he said, is to boost public support for a Taiwan-centered national identity to 75 percent by 2008, in line with statements from TSU spiritual leader and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).

Lee will also act as a campaign aide for TSU candidates at rallies, Huang said. Due to his health, Lee will only show up to one rally for each of the 30 TSU candidates in the coming two months -- a relatively small number of appearances for a typically hectic election season.

In order to differentiate itself from the DPP, the TSU will adopt "creating a new Taiwan constitution and changing the official title of the country to Taiwan" as its campaign themes. It has nominated reputable academics and seasoned public servants, and has picked only one candidate in each electoral district to prevent intra-party competition.

With the election strategy of "summoning the most elite troops," the TSU aims to secure at least 25 legislative seats. With five legislator-at-large seats assured, the TSU would then have 30 seats, Huang said. He said that the DPP will win 95 to 100 legislative seats.

"The TSU and the DPP will make a concerted effort to dominate the year-end elections," Huang said.
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