The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said it would not encourage incumbent city or county councilors to run for legislator in next year’s elections.
The statement was part of a nonbinding resolution that the DPP released as its Central Executive Committee approved a plan to establish a strategy division for next year’s presidential and legislative elections.
DPP Chairman William Lai (賴清德) said the resolution excludes several “difficult” constituencies, as well as those that are currently not represented in the legislature.
Lai, who had pushed for the resolution, said that councilors running for legislative seats would be seen as abandoning the people who had voted them into office.
The party listed 16 “difficult” constituencies in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City and Taichung, as well as Hsinchu, Miaoli, Hualien, Kinmen and Lienchiang counties.
The division would be tasked with assessing members who consider running in the elections and mediating between those seeking to run for the same legislative seat. It would also assess possible collaborations with other parties or independent candidates.
A committee member from the DPP’s Taiwan Forward faction who Lai asked to comment on the plan said that elected Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials have run for higher offices shortly after being sworn in during the past few elections.
DPP officials who did the same would be no different from those widely criticized KMT officials, they said.
The member said elected DPP officials vying for higher office should not run for re-election knowing that they would not serve a full term, they added.
Taipei City Councilor Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), both of the KMT, are expected to run for higher office next year, the member said, adding that they support the resolution.
The Taiwan Forward faction was founded by Lin Kun-hai (林崑海), cofounder of SET-TV.
Another DPP member who is seen as aligned with Lai said the resolution is a declaration of principle that sets the DPP apart from the KMT.
However, other committee members criticized the resolution, with some calling it undemocratic, while others said it would block talented politicians from moving upward.
Another member urged the party to encourage fair competition.
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