Four independence-leaning parties yesterday announced that they would join forces for next year’s local elections.
New Power Party (NPP) Chairwoman Claire Wang (王婉諭), Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Sing-huan (王興煥), Taiwan Obasang Political Equality Party convener Lin Shih-han (林詩涵) and Green Party Taiwan coconvener Joyance Wang (王彥涵) signed a joint declaration at an event in Taipei outlining shared principles, including defending Taiwan against Chinese aggression, boosting national defense and coordinating nominations to maximize local council seats.
The four parties also pledged to narrow the wealth gap, protect the environment and accelerate the nation’s energy transition.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The Democratic Progressive Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have reduced every political issue to the independence-unification divide — mobilizing voters through antagonism while leaving real problems unsolved, they said.
Claire Wang said that the partnership was the first time in Taiwan’s political history that more than two parties had formed an alliance.
The parties have a firm stance on Taiwan’s sovereignty and a rejection of plutocracy, she said.
Taiwan’s democracy suffers from the absence of a strong opposition, which prompted the parties to join forces to stabilize the nation’s democracy and advance statebuilding, Wang Sing-huan said.
The alliance aims to challenge the “opportunistic” Taiwan People’s Party and the “disorderly” KMT, he said.
Lin described the collaboration as the product of a year of dialogue and relationship building, which was intended to open a new chapter in Taiwan’s politics and rebuild public trust in government.
Joyance Wang urged the public to help change the political culture from the bottom up by supporting the alliance.
Claire Wang told reporters that the four parties had agreed to prioritize the re-election of incumbents and coordinate fairly where multiple candidates are eligible in the same constituency.
They hope to field mayoral and commissioner candidates, if possible, to offer voters new choices and break Taiwan’s political deadlock, she added.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS