The ruling DPP is confident it can win more than 80 legislative seats and is currently taking the lead in 12 mayoral and county commissioners' election races, party secretary general Wu Nai-jen (
"Eighty percent of the DPP's legislative candidates are likely to get elected," Wu said, citing the party's latest standings in two surveys.
The 80 expected seats include 16 prospective legislators-at-large and three overseas legislators, he said.
Wu said that the party would target the KMT as its major competitor because the former ruling party has the potential to grab an equal number of seats, with only a projected gap of five seats between the two.
He said that, despite the fact that some voters vigorously support the "orange team," the People First Party is likely to win only about 35 seats because some voters may not support individual PFP candidates.
He added that the New Party will probably acquire five seats -- as many as he estimated the Taiwan Solidarity Union would get -- while ten independent candidates could possibly pass into the new legislature.
About the party's prospects in mayoral and county commissioners' races, Wu said that victory is at hand for his party's candidates in Taipei, Ilan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Nantou, Changhwa, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties as well as in Keelung and Tainan cities.
However, DPP candidates in Taoyuan and Hualien counties, and Hsinchu City face very fierce competition, he added.
Assessing the DPP's election strategies, Wu said that the party has mapped out three steps to shrug off the KMT.
He said that the DPP government will first devote all its efforts to wiping out possible vote-buying in traditionally agricultural constituencies in order to choke back opposition candidates who are likely to win unfairly.
Secondly, the party will keep a close eye on how opposition forces, including the KMT, PFP and New Party, compete with one another, since one may siphon off the other's votes and lead to their own failure.
Lastly, the party will carefully calculate and distribute votes evenly to ensure the maximum number of seats for the party's candidates.
Wu, in addition, yesterday said that next week the party would take disciplinary action against four party members -- including incumbent Tainan Mayor George Chang (
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