The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wants people under the age of 35 and migrants to run in the councilor elections next year to fill vacancies left by former DPP councilors who were elected to the legislature or appointed to the Cabinet, a legislator said yesterday.
DPP Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文), the party’s Electoral Strategy Committee convenor, said that the committee proposed nominating younger candidates, new migrants or people who have made a special contribution to fill 11 vacancies left by former DPP councilors in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taichung, Taoyuan, Keelung and Chunghua.
There are 10 vacancies left by Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤), Chiang Yung-chang (江永昌), Wu Chi-ming (吳琪銘), Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸), Chen Lai Su-me (陳賴素美), Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅), Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書), Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應), Huang Hsiu-fang (黃秀芳) and Hung Tsung-yi (洪宗熠), who are former city and county councilors elected to the Legislative Yuan.
The other vacancy was left by Taipei City Councilor Tung Chung-yen (童仲彥), who was expelled from the DPP after a domestic violence scandal in February.
The DPP will nominate candidates without primary elections for the 11 seats, while in other constituencies regular primary elections will still be held.
There is no age limit for new migrant and special contributions candidates.
“The nomination principle is in accordance with the DPP’s philosophy to encourage youth participation and ethnic diversity in politics. As the first party to ensure women participate in elections, the DPP encourages pluralism in politics,” DPP spokesman Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) said.
The nomination principle might also be applied to Tainan after the redrawing of the city’s constituencies is completed, as two vacancies were left by former city councilors Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) and Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), who have been appointed deputy minister of labor and been elected a legislator respectively.
Candidates likely to be nominated include DPP spokesman Chang Chih-hao (張志豪), former DPP Department of Youth Development director Huang Shou-ta (黃守達) and Rosalia Wu’s aide, Tai Wei-shan (戴瑋珊).
Asked whether the DPP is promoting younger candidates because of pressure from the New Power Party and the so-called “third-force,” which have a large support base among younger voters, Chen said challenges from other parties have motivated the DPP to change.
“The DPP has been improving its image by promoting younger people and introducing ethnic diversity to the party,” Chen added.
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