Despite the fact that 69 out of 160 serving legislators failed to retain their seats in the next legislature in Saturday's election, more than 80 percent of the 113-member new legislature will be made up of familiar faces.
Apart from the 69 lawmakers who failed in their re-election attempts, another 57 decided not to run, making a total of 126 lawmakers that will be departing the legislature.
However, since 91 serving legislators won re-election and three of the new legislators -- the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯), Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) and Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) -- have served as lawmakers at some point in the past, more than 80 percent of the new legislature will be comprised of "old faces."
Among those successfully re-elected, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Ching-chun (
Among the casualties were senior lawmakers from across party lines.
These included Tainan County KMT legislator Hung Yu-chin (洪玉欽), who had already served eight terms; the People First Party's Shen Chih-hwei (沈智慧) from Taichung City, who had served six terms; and five-timers Lee Sen-zong (李顯榮) and Chao Yung-ching (趙永清) of the DPP -- both of Taipei County -- and the KMT's Ho Jyh-huei (
The most senior DPP Legislator, six-time legislator Hong Chi-chang (洪奇昌) also lost his seat because he was ranked fifteenth on the party's at-large list.
The DPP only secured 14 at-large seats. Four-time KMT Legislator Hsu Shu-po (
Most of the pan-green camp lawmakers who switched party affiliation ahead of the election lost, with legislators Liao Pen-yen (廖本煙), Huang Chung-yung (黃宗源) and Ho Min-hao (何敏豪) -- who jumped ship from the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) to the DPP -- all failing in their re-election bids.
Lee Sen-zong (
On the other hand, only one of the six People First Party (PFP) lawmakers who ran under the KMT banner, Ko Shu-min (
Among the 60 DPP lawmakers seeking re-election, 41 -- including 35 in the district elections and six on the at-large list -- failed. As for the PFP, two of its three lawmakers seeking re-election failed, while all three of the TSU's re-election seekers lost.
For the KMT, only 13 out of 81 lawmakers seeking re-election were unsuccessful.
All parties that failed to obtain 5 percent of votes cast -- all of them except for the KMT and DPP -- are unable to recommend candidates for presidential and vice presidential elections. additional reporting by maggie lu
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS