The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was not far from drawing its last breath after its defeats in the local elections in November last year. However, after holding on to two seats in traditional DPP strongholds in four legislative by-elections on March 16, the DPP finally found some breathing space.
However, is the DPP’s performance in the legislative by-elections reason to be optimistic about a comeback?
In last year’s elections, voters across the nation gave the party a stern rebuke, and their view of the party’s performance over the past three years was reflected in their support for Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), who addressed their demands in plain language and turned their impatience and discontent with the DPP into a rejection of the party.
If the DPP simply blames last year’s election defeats on the general situation, it would not be able to explain its victories in Taoyuan, Keelung and Hsinchu City, which are traditionally seen as pan-blue strongholds.
The determining factors were clearly the candidates and their management styles, not the general political situation.
Following last year’s election victories, the pan-blue camp tried to leverage the “Han wave” — a surge of support for Han prior to his election — in the legislative by-elections. By duplicating the mass media’s personality cult-building formula, the pan-blue camp was determined to take over Tainan’s second electoral district and New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重), which have been DPP support bases for years.
Meanwhile, as the DPP could not afford to lose, government and party officials from every party faction made a successful all-out effort to safeguard the two seats.
Judging from the outcome of the by-elections, which were seen as a prelude to next year’s presidential election, the two camps have returned to a standoff between fundamental support bases.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had held high hopes that the “Han wave” would sweep across the nation again, but it fizzled out. The DPP, still in shock and lacking self-confidence following last year’s election defeat, finally found its old recipe for getting closer to public opinion and managed to hold on to the two legislative seats in its traditional strongholds.
What now? Will the DPP continue to rule Taiwan relying on slogans and begging for one more chance, while ignoring that the government is unable to understand and satisfy the public’s needs when it comes to policy implementation and legislation?
Or will it drastically reform itself by nominating legislative candidates and top officials with a clean, professional image who are capable of policy integration and implementation, while bravely pushing for generational change in Taiwan to ensure that coming generations remain internationally competitive?
In the confrontation between the pan-blue and pan-green camps’ fundamental support bases, the two will have to find ways to change to find a way out in the presidential election.
The DPP’s values are not to copy the “Han wave” by pretending to be naive and warm, or behave like Internet celebrities and indulge in live-streaming. Rather, the party should resume its past slogan of “honesty, diligence and love for our land.”
From personnel appointments to policy planning, implementation and adjustment and creating a social impact, the party should start to solve the social problems that the nation is facing. The only way to win is to resolutely lead the nation toward democratic and progressive values.
Huang Shih-chieh is a lawyer.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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