The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday decided to abolish the much-criticized “blue-excluding opinion poll” system, despite the opposition of former party chairman Yu Shyi-kun.
The party’s Central Executive Committee met yesterday and passed a motion filed by former DPP legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) to do away with the poll.
The decision does not require the approval of the party’s National Congress, which is scheduled to meet on May 4, but representatives have the right to file a motion to veto.
The “blue-excluding opinion polls” were used in the DPP primaries to help determine party nominees for the Jan. 12 legislative elections.
They attempted to identify and exclude supporters of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and prevent them from participating for fear they would manipulate the results in the KMT’s favor.
Following the DPP’s drubbing in the legislative elections and presidential contest, however, many party members criticized the polls for politically labeling respondents and encouraging the nomination of more extreme legislative candidates.
Yu, however, refused to accept suggestions that the controversial polling method be abolished at the end of a group discussion on Saturday to review the DPP’s election defeats.
Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) said yesterday: “The DPP is doomed and might as well dissolve if the party fails to revoke the ‘blue-excluding’ polling method.”
Wu, DPP legislative caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) and DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) agreed, saying that it was a consensus reached at a meeting on Saturday.
Committee member Huang Ching-lin (黃慶林) yesterday said that he was in favor of the “blue-excluding opinion poll” and that he believed the DPP would not dissolve as claimed by some DPP members if the party kept the polling format.
DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) said it was not fair to hold Yu solely responsible for the “blue-excluding opinion poll” because it was he who aggressively pushed the polling method during his stint as acting chair.
DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday expressed regret over media portrayals of the party’s recent string of introspection meetings as internal infighting, adding that the DPP is a party that will progress and does not shy from internal criticism.
Meanwhile, the three candidates vying for DPP chairman yesterday refused to take part in negotiations aimed at convincing two of them to withdraw.
Hsieh yesterday said that he had met the three candidates separately and they all agreed to negotiate but none wanted to take part in negotiations that urged them to withdraw.
They also agreed to present their platform or participate in at least one debate.
Wu yesterday said that the game is pretty much set, saying that he was only in favor of holding an election if the negotiations fail.
Chai yesterday said that he would stay in the race and that it was inappropriate to ask him to drop out of the contest.
Former vice premier Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), a front-runner in the election who returned from a visit to the US yesterday morning and met Hsieh afterwards, told reporters at the Taoyuan International Airport that she would respect Hsieh’s decision on whether to negotiate how the election should be held.
She said overseas DPP supporters were baffled by recent election setbacks and expressed grave concern over the party’s future. She said they hoped to see the party get back on its feet again soon and recover its former glory.
Meanwhile, Huang said that the new party leader must be experienced in party affairs, well acquainted with the party’s structure and understand the needs of grassroots supporters. He said that he was worried that support from a specific faction might play too big a role in determining the winner of the chairmanship.
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