The establishment of new pan-green parties that are to vie for legislative seats in next year’s presidential and legislative elections would pose a significant challenge to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in some constituencies, a DPP member said on Sunday.
Districts where the DPP holds a seat or where it has equal influence with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are likely to see the greatest challenge from the new parties, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The new parties are likely to be less of a challenge in single-member districts, the source said.
The independence-leaning Taiwan Action Party Alliance (TAPA) was established on Aug. 18 and the Formosa Alliance announced its transition into a political party on July 20.
The parties said they would run in the legislative elections to balance the DPP’s and the KMT’s power.
Another pan-green party named the Taiwan Renewal Party was formally launched on Saturday.
The goal of TAPA, the Formosa Alliance, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) newly established Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and other minor parties is to snatch votes from the major parties, the source said, adding that this is different from winning legislator-at-large seats, which have a 5 percent threshold, or those subsidized by parties, which have a 3 percent threshold.
The TPP stands out from the others, as it is not aligned with the DPP or the KMT, and it could threaten the New Power Party as the third force in the legislature if it passes the 5 percent threshold, they said.
The TPP is likely to recruit candidates from among people overlooked in the KMT’s and the DPP’s primaries, they added.
However, noting that the DPP held 14 legislator-at-large seats when it was at its lowest point in 2007, and the KMT — which is perceived by political observers as being at its lowest point — holds 11 seats, the new parties are unlikely to do well at the polls, as they have been established too close to the elections, the source said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS