Veteran social activists intend to introduce a new center-left political party — the Social Democratic Party (SDP, 社會民主黨) — in next year’s legislative elections.
Led by National Taiwan University professor Fan Yun (范雲), the party is to officially announce its bid to enter the race by early next month.
“We differ from current prevailing methods of economic development, which often expect a certain industry to act as a ‘locomotive of growth’ for other sectors,” SDP founding member and potential legislative candidate Urda Yen (嚴婉玲) said, adding that the party supports the development of industries that address the current needs of society — such as long-term care for the elderly or clean energy generation.
Yen was previously spokesperson for the Economic Democracy Union, a group that originated in early campaigns against the cross-strait service trade agreement that preceded the Sunflower movement last year.
In terms of cross-strait issues, the SDP considers Taiwan an independent nation separate from China and would focus its platform on economic issues and social equality, Yen said.
Fan has been confirmed as a candidate for legislator next year, while Yen and National Chung Cheng University academic Chen Shang-chih (陳尚志) are considering candidacy, Yen said.
While Fan is likely to enter the race in Taipei’s Daan District (大安), Yen is considering running for legislator in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋).
The move would pit Yen against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) incumbent Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池), who spearheaded the KMT’s efforts last year to promote the trade pact.
Amid an explosion of candidates from minor parties for next year’s elections, the SDP is engaged in discussions with the environmental issue-based Green Party about a joint legislator-at-large nomination list, Yen said.
Although the SDP does not rule out cooperation with major parties — such as possible coordination with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to avoid nominating candidates in the same constituency — they are “most likely” to cooperate with the Green Party in terms of nominating joint candidates, she added.
The upcoming political party is to feature a rose — an international symbol for socialism — in its official emblem, Yen said.
The rose is to be rainbow-colored instead of solid red to illustrate the party’s roots in a diverse range of progressive social causes — including women’s rights, children’s rights, gay rights and media reform — instead of being strictly limited to left-wing labor movements, she added.
The party is set to be the second founded by members of the civic group Taiwan Citizen’s Union (TCU), after a separate group of TCU members launched the New Power Party less than a month ago.
In addition to the four major parties that hold seats in the national legislature, up to 10 minor parties — many with progressive or activist agendas — are planning to enter the race, which is scheduled for January next year.
ANOTHER EMERGES: The CWA yesterday said this year’s fourth storm of the typhoon season had formed in the South China Sea, but was not expected to affect Taiwan Tropical Storm Gaemi has intensified slightly as it heads toward Taiwan, where it is expected to affect the country in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the 120km-radius storm was 800km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving at 9kph northwest, the agency said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued tonight at the earliest, it said, adding that the storm is projected to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday. Gaemi’s potential effect on Taiwan remains unclear, as that would depend on its direction, radius and intensity, forecasters said. Former Weather Forecast
As COVID-19 cases in Japan have been increasing for 10 consecutive weeks, people should get vaccinated before visiting the nation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. The centers reported 773 hospitalizations and 124 deaths related to COVID-19 in Taiwan last week. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) on Tuesday said the number of weekly COVID-19 cases reported in Japan has been increasing since mid-May and surpassed 55,000 cases from July 8 to July 14. The average number of COVID-19 patients at Japan’s healthcare facilities that week was also 1.39 times that of the week before and KP.3 is the dominant
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) working group for Taiwan-related policies is likely to be upgraded to a committee-level body, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. As Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is increasingly likely to upgrade the CCP’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, Taiwanese authorities should prepare by researching Xi and the CCP, the report said. At the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which ended on Thursday last week, the party set a target of 2029 for the completion of some tasks, meaning that Xi is likely preparing to
US-CHINA TRADE DISPUTE: Despite Beijing’s offer of preferential treatment, the lure of China has dimmed as Taiwanese and international investors move out Japan and the US have become the favored destinations for Taiwanese graduates as China’s attraction has waned over the years, the Ministry of Labor said. According to the ministry’s latest income and employment advisory published this month, 3,215 Taiwanese university graduates from the class of 2020 went to Japan, surpassing for the first time the 2,881 graduates who went to China. A total of 2,300 graduates from the class of 2021 went to the US, compared with the 2,262 who went to China, the document showed. The trend continued for the class of 2023, of whom 1,460 went to Japan, 1,334 went to