Election guidelines
Elections in Taiwan are often difficult to understand, especially for expatriates, foreign residents and young voters.
There are two major parties with fundamentally different beliefs in Taiwan. Following is a practical approach to use when explaining the situation to the uninitiated.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), at its core and its constitution, strongly advocates unification with China.
Since the KMT’s arrival on Taiwan after the defeat to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) led by chairman Mao Zedong (毛澤東), the KMT has been polluting and destroying Taiwan’s environment, depleting its resources, and exploiting its original population of Taiwanese and Aborigines.
Its presidential candidate, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), believes that without China’s help and integration, Taiwan has no place on the world stage.
Healthcare, education and the environment are not priorities in his world, and women’s rights, minorities’ concerns, foreign workers’ rights and animal protection issues are dismissed by him and his party.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its candidate, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), are not anti-China, but pro-Taiwan.
She and her party firmly believe that Taiwan is, has been and always will be a sovereign nation, and as such will be recognized and respected by the world, especially if she is re-elected and can continue her very effective programs and initiatives.
She deeply cares about the education of Taiwan’s children, the protection of its animals, and cleaning up and protecting of the environment.
Tsai and the DPP have been working tirelessly to bring Taiwanese and international investors and businesses back to Taiwan, and have focussed on encouraging other East and Southeast Asians to visit and get to know this beautiful nation with its astonishingly gorgeous scenery and wonderfully warm and friendly people.
With this information, any Taiwanese expatriate, visitor, or young person living in Taiwan will be able to make an informed decision.
Just ask yourself: Which of those two candidates would you choose and trust to be the future president of Taiwan?
Daniel Luthi
Taichung
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