Until early last month, the People First Party (PFP) was perceived as daring and energetic, with the potential to beat its political ally, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), in the December legislative elections. But now the PFP seems to be suffering from low morale due to distress over its dwindling popularity.
According to an unpublished poll conducted by the party, approval for PFP legislators is on the decline. In addition, various polls conducted by local media indicate that support for the PFP is also falling.
Coupled with the party's recent setback in the Kaohsiung City Council by-election, members of the PFP have in private voiced concern over the party's electoral outlook in the year-end legislative elections.
Political observers said that the PFP's declining support rate was largely the result of the party's aggressive moves contesting the result of the March 20 presidential election.
"The PFP's perceived aggressiveness has turned off many voters," said Chin Heng-wei (
Chin referred to the behavior of PFP legislators such as Chiu Yi (邱毅), Shen Chih-hui (沈智慧) and Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) protesting the result of the presidential election.
In the wake of the election, Chiu stood on the back of a truck in Kaohsiung, encouraging a crowd to attack police officers with rocks, sticks and bricks and storm the Kaohsiung District Court.
Shen led a crowd to the Tai-chung District Court and attempted to break into the building. On the Friday night following the election, Lee and fellow PFP Legislator Feng Ting-kuo (馮定國) led supporters in a violent rampage outside the Central Election Commission's offices when commission officials attempted to post an announcement declaring President Chen Shui-bian (
The PFP suffered a great setback in the Kaohsiung by-election last month.
Six out of eight candidates nominated by the KMT were elected, compared with six out of 10 nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party and three out of four nominated by the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU). The PFP, which nominated four candidates in the by-election, took no seats.
After a month-long visit to the US and Europe, PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) arrived in Taipei on Wednesday. When asked to comment on the party's poor performance in the Kaohsiung by-election, Soong said the party was at fault in its selection of nominees.
"It is depressing enough to not be elected, but it is even more depressing to hear Soong's insinuation that the nominees were not good enough," said TSU Legislator Lo Chih-ming (
Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), director of the PFP's Policy Research Center, said that the party needs to re-assess its position.
"We will engage ourselves in introspection in response to criticism and views from the public," Chang said.
"We will re-assess our party system and platforms and continue to strengthen our image while being modest and rational, which forms the development and political platform that the PFP holds fast to," Chang said, adding that the party should examine the reasons behind its election defeat to jump-start the nomination and campaigning process for the year-end legislative elections.
"I think that the PFP has sown its own bitter fruit," PFP caucus whip Liu Wen-hsiung (
Among the pan-blue politicians taking turns addressing protesters after the presidential election, PFP legislators spent noticeably more time behind the microphone. The KMT's pro-localization members kept a relatively low profile.
"We were seen as the bad guys due to our efforts to pursue causes, while the KMT did nothing and is now harvesting the benefits without lifting a finger," Liu said.
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