The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said it could choose not to contest an election against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member and long-running Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), provided he remained a “fair” speaker.
Under KMT rules that prevent more than two consecutive terms as legislator-at-large, Wang, who has been legislative speaker for most of the past decade, will no longer be eligible for nomination as legislator-at-large this year.
Under current party regulations, Wang would have to run in an electoral district later this year or early next year to continue his position in the legislature — although there is talk that the rules could be revised by a KMT committee.
However, in light of Wang’s more “moderate” stance, DPP caucus whip Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) said party lawmakers could consider vacating one district so that Wang could run virtually unopposed.
“If Wang can be fair, unbiased and unpartisan, the DPP could consider the move based on the precedent set by other advanced democracies,” Gao said.
“Legislative speakers have a respected role in those countries and don’t even have to worry about re-election. Their opponents automatically vacate the race,” he said.
One of Taiwan’s longest-serving legislators, Wang has often acted as an intermediary between the KMT and the DPP. He is believed to have significant support in his hometown, Greater Kaohsiung.
However, Wang has shown signs of unwillingness to battle for the spot and there is speculation the KMT could tap him for another post, possibly as vice-president or the head of the Straits Exchange Foundation, Gao said.
However, one condition for the DPP giving Wang a free pass would be that he abstain from participating in any KMT events in the future, DPP spokesperson Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said.
“There must be conditions ... we should aim to create a legislative speaker post that is non-partisan and more neutral,” Cheng said.
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