Pro-localization groups yesterday urged the newly founded Taiwan Independence Action Party (TIAP) to drop its plan to nominate candidates for next year’s legislative elections, citing concern the move could divide pan-green voters and hurt the camp’s prospects of securing a majority in the legislature.
Northern Taiwan Society chairman Chang Yeh-sen (張葉森) called on TIAP cofounder Chin Heng-wei (金恒煒), a senior political commentator, to instead assume the role of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) watchdog if the DPP wins a majority in the Legislative Yuan.
Chin on Wednesday announced that he is organizing the new party along with former presidential advisers Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) and Wu Li-pei (吳澧培), as well as former Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟).
Chang yesterday said the new party should not attempt to secure legislator-at-large seats on its own, as the move could result in the pan-blue camp gaining a majority instead.
If this scenario were to play out, the TIAP’s campaign would not be seen in a positive light by future generations, Chang said.
He said he looks forward to meeting with TIAP, Free Taiwan Party, New Power Party (NPP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) leaders to ask for their opinion on integrating the parties.
He said that together, the “third political force” and the new pro-independence parties could probably win 15 percent to 20 percent of votes, and that they should unite to leverage their influence rather than take on the legislative elections individually.
Chang said that some supporters had told him they were concerned about young pro-independence parties undermining the momentum of the pan-green camp.
He underlined the importance of the upcoming legislative elections, saying that as President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) approval ratings continue to slump, the pan-green camp must harvest low-hanging fruit.
Central Taiwan Society chairman Lin Heng-li (林恆立) recommended that nascent, pro-independence political parties with beliefs similar to those held by the pan-green camp form an alliance with the NPP and SDP to minimize their potential impact on the pan-green camp.
He said that while people have the right to enter politics, it takes more than idealism to succeed in the field.
What some are most concerned about now is minor political parties not being able to build on their influence and, as a result, failing to pass the 5 percent threshold of overall party votes to secure legislator-at-large seats and waste the votes they receive, he said.
He said that pan-green parties, the third political force and young pro-independence parties should work out a solution to maximize their influence, not divide their efforts.
In response, Chin said he is open to the possibility of cooperation, but rejected Lin’s suggestion that the TIAP work with the third political force to nominate a legislator-at-large candidate.
“That is not how politics works. Otherwise, the NPP and SDP would have agreed to some form of collaboration by now, but that is not the case,” Chin said.
He said that if the TIAP had not been formed, the votes it would receive would still be divided and trickle down to other pan-green parties, and it would still not help them secure legislator-at-large seats.
He said he is confident the TIAP will obtain more than 5 percent of overall party votes to land a seat in the legislature.
Chin said that he has received a significant amount of positive feedback since news of the TIAP’s establishment began circulating, and that the date of its first grand assembly would be announced after an assessment of its potential members’ health.
Chin said that once the TIAP secures a foothold in the legislature, it would pressure the DPP to address issues regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty.
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