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.
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