Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) drew criticism from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as well as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) after saying that his party would have won the election if ballot access was limited to college-educated voters.
At an event for party supporters in Hsinchu on Saturday, Ko said that aside from his own unsuccessful presidential run, the TPP won 22 percent of votes on the at-large legislator ballot, showing it has become a serious political force that is unlikely to fizzle out.
“The TPP has one major strategic advantage: If you’re someone who doesn’t support the KMT or the DPP, there’s no one else to choose from except the TPP,” Ko said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
Analyzing the Jan. 13 election results, Ko said the TPP had received its highest vote share at polling stations located near universities and science parks.
Citing unspecified analysis from the US, he said the TPP is a party of “elites” similar to the ruling People’s Action Party in Singapore, with a voter base that is disproportionately young, well-educated and politically centrist.
Ko said that, by definition, it is hard for a party of elites to win a majority. Nevertheless, “If there was a rule stating that only college-educated people could vote,” the TPP would have won the election, he said.
After the remarks, Ko quickly clarified that he values democracy and the principle of one person, one vote, which guarantees a voice to disadvantaged groups in society, adding that for that reason, it would be wrong to “complain” that the TPP would have won if only well-educated people under 40 had the ability to cast a ballot.
DPP Legislator Lin Chu-yin (林楚茵) yesterday said the comments were just the latest of many by Ko showing an “arrogant bias” against less educated people.
Ko has previously argued that people who did not attend high school account for the vast majority of drug users, and that students graduating from certain university departments are economically “worthless,” Lin said.
KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) dismissed the remarks as “yet another gaffe” by the TPP chair.
In addition to discriminating on the basis of education, Ko’s comments are an example of a politician trying to choose his own voters, in a way that is not compatible with democratic norms, she said.
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