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Voters in Taiwan vote on Saturday in a mid-term test of the popularity of President Chen Shui-Bian.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4494122.stm
Taiwan Politics
MultiQuote
#2
Posted 04 December 2005 - 09:17 AM
KMT takes 14 of 23 county and city government seats
2005/12/4. The China Post staff
The opposition Kuomintang crushed the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in yesterday local elections, taking 14 of the 23 county and city government seats up for grabs.
The KMT's sweeping victory was doubly sweet as it managed to wrest back rule in Taipei and Ilan counties, both of which have been governed by the DPP for 16 and 24 years respectively.
The KMT and DPP currently rule nine cities and counties each. The ruling party was able to retain only six.
The People First Party, the New Party and an independent each took captured one county.
KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, marking the victory with supporters, said the outcome was a "vote of no-confidence" for the DPP.
to win 10 local governments or lost Taipei County.
More than 8.87 million of about 10 million eligible voters cast their ballots in the mostly uneventful voting day.
The DPP garnered about 41.95 percent of the votes, down from 45.27 percent in 2001. The KMT won 50.96 percent, up from 35.06 percent in 2001.
The PFP and the Taiwan Solidarity Union each won about 1.1 percent of the votes, but the TSU did not win any seats.
The NP received a meager 0.2 percent of votes, while independents obtained 4.65 percent.
The KMT also posted strong showing in the local council elections, winning pluralities of seats in many of them.
The main opposition party also won 173 of the 319 township governments, while the DPP only took 35. The PFP won three township governments, while independents and others grabbed 108.
Observers said the outcomes demonstrated voters' disappointment at the DPP, who has failed to break the cross-strait deadlock or revive the economy.
The DPP, which has risen to power partly on an anti-corruption platform, ironically has been plagued by a series of corruption scandals in recent months.
Its candidate in Ilan, former Justice Minister Chen Ding-nan, was dogged by allegations that one of his campaign aides bought votes.
DPP candidate Luo Wen-jia for Taipei County was also alleged to have broken the election law by paying allowances to supporters attending a massive rally last Sunday.
Chen, who headed Ilan County between 1981-89, lost his bid to rule the northeastern county again by a mere margin of about 8,000 votes to his KMT contender Lu Kuo-hua.
Luo trailed the winner, incumbent Legislator Chou Hsi-wei, by about 190,000 votes.
Apart from Taipei and Ilan counties, the KMT took Keelung City, Taoyuan County, Hualien County, Penghu County, Chiayi City, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taichung County, Taichung City, Miaoli County, Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City.
The DPP won in Tainan County, Tainan City, Kaohsiung County, Pingtung County, Yunlin County, and Chiayi County.
The PFP and the NP retained rule in Lienchang County (Matsu) and Kinmen County respectively. Taitung County went out an independent.
2005/12/4. The China Post staff
The opposition Kuomintang crushed the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in yesterday local elections, taking 14 of the 23 county and city government seats up for grabs.
The KMT's sweeping victory was doubly sweet as it managed to wrest back rule in Taipei and Ilan counties, both of which have been governed by the DPP for 16 and 24 years respectively.
The KMT and DPP currently rule nine cities and counties each. The ruling party was able to retain only six.
The People First Party, the New Party and an independent each took captured one county.
KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, marking the victory with supporters, said the outcome was a "vote of no-confidence" for the DPP.
to win 10 local governments or lost Taipei County.
More than 8.87 million of about 10 million eligible voters cast their ballots in the mostly uneventful voting day.
The DPP garnered about 41.95 percent of the votes, down from 45.27 percent in 2001. The KMT won 50.96 percent, up from 35.06 percent in 2001.
The PFP and the Taiwan Solidarity Union each won about 1.1 percent of the votes, but the TSU did not win any seats.
The NP received a meager 0.2 percent of votes, while independents obtained 4.65 percent.
The KMT also posted strong showing in the local council elections, winning pluralities of seats in many of them.
The main opposition party also won 173 of the 319 township governments, while the DPP only took 35. The PFP won three township governments, while independents and others grabbed 108.
Observers said the outcomes demonstrated voters' disappointment at the DPP, who has failed to break the cross-strait deadlock or revive the economy.
The DPP, which has risen to power partly on an anti-corruption platform, ironically has been plagued by a series of corruption scandals in recent months.
Its candidate in Ilan, former Justice Minister Chen Ding-nan, was dogged by allegations that one of his campaign aides bought votes.
DPP candidate Luo Wen-jia for Taipei County was also alleged to have broken the election law by paying allowances to supporters attending a massive rally last Sunday.
Chen, who headed Ilan County between 1981-89, lost his bid to rule the northeastern county again by a mere margin of about 8,000 votes to his KMT contender Lu Kuo-hua.
Luo trailed the winner, incumbent Legislator Chou Hsi-wei, by about 190,000 votes.
Apart from Taipei and Ilan counties, the KMT took Keelung City, Taoyuan County, Hualien County, Penghu County, Chiayi City, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taichung County, Taichung City, Miaoli County, Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City.
The DPP won in Tainan County, Tainan City, Kaohsiung County, Pingtung County, Yunlin County, and Chiayi County.
The PFP and the NP retained rule in Lienchang County (Matsu) and Kinmen County respectively. Taitung County went out an independent.
#3
Posted 04 December 2005 - 09:18 AM
DPP's defeat demonstrates voters' disappointment
2005/12/4. R.L. Chen, The China Post staff
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party's crushing defeat in yesterday's local elections demonstrates voters' disappointment with its poor performance, and it is paving the way for the Kuomintang's full comeback in the coming three years.
The vote-buying allegations plaguing against the DPP's candidates in Taipei and Ilan counties -- Luo Wen-jia and Chen Ding-nan -- in the final days leading up to the elections are tell-tale signs of voters' perception of the ruling party.
It is prosecutors' job to decide whether Luo and Chen -- the former a younger reformer of the party, and the latter an ex-justice minister known for his no-nonsense anti-corruption campaigns -- actually bought votes.
But the allegations epitomized the corruptibility of a party that used to pride itself so much of its incorruptibility.
The corruption scandals -- including Kaohsiung's mass rapid transit project and the alleged insider trading by a ranking stock market regulator -- have come as the last straw.
The DPP could take some comfort in the fact that five KMT winners in the elections are members of the national Legislature.
They will have to give up their lawmaker seats, and as a result the opposition camp will lose their thin majority in the Legislature.
While the DPP in their heyday never once obtained a majority of seats in the Legislature, the next two years until the 2007 legislative elections may be the only time that the DPP comes closest to dominating the Legislature.
The DPP will see less obstruction in pushing its policies, but it will need the support of its ally -- the Taiwan Solidarity Union -- and independents.
The DPP still have two years to win back voters' trust until the 2007 legislative elections, which are expected to be a prelude to the final showdown in the 2008 presidential poll.
The KMT's victory on the one hand has shown that the DPP has a mountain to climb to stage a comeback, and on the other has confirmed KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's leadership in the opposition camp and therefore his presidential candidacy.
While President Chen Shui-bian will be retiring, the DPP will be finding it hard to field a strong enough challenger against the charismatic Ma.
Potential successors to Chen from the DPP include Premier Frank Hsieh, Presidential Secretary General Yu Shyi-kun, DPP Chairman Su Tsen-chang, and Vice President Annette Lu.
Hsieh, like Yu, who has also served as premier, has found his hands tied by an opposition-dominated Legislature.
Worse still, the incumbent premier's integrity has been questioned over the corruption scandal surrounding Kaohsiung's MRT project, which he started during his stint as mayor of the southern city.
For Su, the defeat in the local elections dented his political career.
Lu, who has long been put on the sideline, seems to have come out relatively unscathed by the DPP's recent setbacks, but it remains to see whether her inactivity during the last five years would not discredit her presidential bid.
The outcomes of yesterday's elections do not mean that the DPP will definitely lose the presidential poll or it will never be able to rise again.
Neither do they mean that the KMT will be able to sit back comfortably and continue ruling Taiwan for decades, just as it did during the previous few decades.
The DPP is losing to the KMT for the same reason that caused the downfall of the KMT in 2000: voters' disappointment at the ruling party and their yearning for changes.
The same reason could come back to haunt the KMT again if it fails to live up to voters' expectations in the future.
2005/12/4. R.L. Chen, The China Post staff
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party's crushing defeat in yesterday's local elections demonstrates voters' disappointment with its poor performance, and it is paving the way for the Kuomintang's full comeback in the coming three years.
The vote-buying allegations plaguing against the DPP's candidates in Taipei and Ilan counties -- Luo Wen-jia and Chen Ding-nan -- in the final days leading up to the elections are tell-tale signs of voters' perception of the ruling party.
It is prosecutors' job to decide whether Luo and Chen -- the former a younger reformer of the party, and the latter an ex-justice minister known for his no-nonsense anti-corruption campaigns -- actually bought votes.
But the allegations epitomized the corruptibility of a party that used to pride itself so much of its incorruptibility.
The corruption scandals -- including Kaohsiung's mass rapid transit project and the alleged insider trading by a ranking stock market regulator -- have come as the last straw.
The DPP could take some comfort in the fact that five KMT winners in the elections are members of the national Legislature.
They will have to give up their lawmaker seats, and as a result the opposition camp will lose their thin majority in the Legislature.
While the DPP in their heyday never once obtained a majority of seats in the Legislature, the next two years until the 2007 legislative elections may be the only time that the DPP comes closest to dominating the Legislature.
The DPP will see less obstruction in pushing its policies, but it will need the support of its ally -- the Taiwan Solidarity Union -- and independents.
The DPP still have two years to win back voters' trust until the 2007 legislative elections, which are expected to be a prelude to the final showdown in the 2008 presidential poll.
The KMT's victory on the one hand has shown that the DPP has a mountain to climb to stage a comeback, and on the other has confirmed KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's leadership in the opposition camp and therefore his presidential candidacy.
While President Chen Shui-bian will be retiring, the DPP will be finding it hard to field a strong enough challenger against the charismatic Ma.
Potential successors to Chen from the DPP include Premier Frank Hsieh, Presidential Secretary General Yu Shyi-kun, DPP Chairman Su Tsen-chang, and Vice President Annette Lu.
Hsieh, like Yu, who has also served as premier, has found his hands tied by an opposition-dominated Legislature.
Worse still, the incumbent premier's integrity has been questioned over the corruption scandal surrounding Kaohsiung's MRT project, which he started during his stint as mayor of the southern city.
For Su, the defeat in the local elections dented his political career.
Lu, who has long been put on the sideline, seems to have come out relatively unscathed by the DPP's recent setbacks, but it remains to see whether her inactivity during the last five years would not discredit her presidential bid.
The outcomes of yesterday's elections do not mean that the DPP will definitely lose the presidential poll or it will never be able to rise again.
Neither do they mean that the KMT will be able to sit back comfortably and continue ruling Taiwan for decades, just as it did during the previous few decades.
The DPP is losing to the KMT for the same reason that caused the downfall of the KMT in 2000: voters' disappointment at the ruling party and their yearning for changes.
The same reason could come back to haunt the KMT again if it fails to live up to voters' expectations in the future.
#4
Posted 04 December 2005 - 09:29 AM
Chen 'to blame for party's poor showing'
By Goh Sui Noi. The Straits Times. Publication Date : 2005-12-04
If anyone should take the flak for the battering suffered by Taiwan's ruling party on Saturday, it should be President Chen Shui-bian.
His failure to deal quickly with a widening corruption scandal over the Kaohsiung subway project, which implicated a former presidential aide, was a key reason for the Democratic Progressive Party's dismal showing, observers here said.
Worse, he had tried to distance himself from it.
"He pushed responsibility to Premier Frank Hsieh totally, which is unacceptable to his supporters," said political scientist Paul Chu, who called the DPP's loss a disaster equivalent to an earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale.
Last night, he was conspicuous by his absence when the DPP conceded defeat.
Beyond the scandal, Chen's lack of achievements in his 5 1/2 years in power, his failure to prevent his family members from abusing power and his vacillation over the cross-strait issue have also caused disaffection among DPP supporters, analysts said.
"Chen should generally take responsibility for most of the loss. He cannot blame party chairman Su Tseng-chang," said Dr Yen Chen-shen of the Institute of International Relations at the National Chengchi University. Su stepped down to take responsibility for the party's electoral defeat.
Whether the party could regain lost ground and emerge with a fighting chance for the 2008 presidential election would depend on Chen's actions from now, he added.
If he resisted challenge within the party and continued to monopolise power, then DPP would have a difficult time. But if he allowed a candidate to emerge, then it still stood a chance, Yen said.
As for the Kuomintang (KMT), which won 14 of the 23 constituencies at stake, including the populous crucial Taipei county, it had laid a very strong foundation for the 2008 race, said Chu.
But KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou, who cleared his first hurdle as most likely presidential candidate "beautifully", showed he was clear-headed when he said his party did not defeat the DPP, but that the latter had defeated itself.
Still, said Chu, Ma must continue with reforms within the party if he wanted to convince voters that he was a true reformer and wrest back power that the KMT lost in 2000 because of corruption.
As for Chen, Chu expected that he would try to appeal to his supporters on the ground to avoid being a lame-duck president, by improving on his performance, particularly by liberalising his cross-strait policy.
However, Beijing was unlikely to give him the political room because Chinese leaders did not trust him, said Chinese security analyst Wang Xiangsui.
He noted also the election results showed that the ground in Taiwan had shifted on the cross-strait issue and that there was greater acceptance of the pan-Blue camp's cross-strait position.
Beijing's "intervention" in Taiwan's politics through the island's opposition parties - by inviting these parties to visit the mainland and offering economic goodies to Taiwanese through them - was bearing fruit, he added.
Indeed, Yen noted that the failure of DPP's supporters to respond to Chen's warning that the party's defeat would threaten the island's sovereignty showed that the mainland's Taiwan policy was working.
By Goh Sui Noi. The Straits Times. Publication Date : 2005-12-04
If anyone should take the flak for the battering suffered by Taiwan's ruling party on Saturday, it should be President Chen Shui-bian.
His failure to deal quickly with a widening corruption scandal over the Kaohsiung subway project, which implicated a former presidential aide, was a key reason for the Democratic Progressive Party's dismal showing, observers here said.
Worse, he had tried to distance himself from it.
"He pushed responsibility to Premier Frank Hsieh totally, which is unacceptable to his supporters," said political scientist Paul Chu, who called the DPP's loss a disaster equivalent to an earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale.
Last night, he was conspicuous by his absence when the DPP conceded defeat.
Beyond the scandal, Chen's lack of achievements in his 5 1/2 years in power, his failure to prevent his family members from abusing power and his vacillation over the cross-strait issue have also caused disaffection among DPP supporters, analysts said.
"Chen should generally take responsibility for most of the loss. He cannot blame party chairman Su Tseng-chang," said Dr Yen Chen-shen of the Institute of International Relations at the National Chengchi University. Su stepped down to take responsibility for the party's electoral defeat.
Whether the party could regain lost ground and emerge with a fighting chance for the 2008 presidential election would depend on Chen's actions from now, he added.
If he resisted challenge within the party and continued to monopolise power, then DPP would have a difficult time. But if he allowed a candidate to emerge, then it still stood a chance, Yen said.
As for the Kuomintang (KMT), which won 14 of the 23 constituencies at stake, including the populous crucial Taipei county, it had laid a very strong foundation for the 2008 race, said Chu.
But KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou, who cleared his first hurdle as most likely presidential candidate "beautifully", showed he was clear-headed when he said his party did not defeat the DPP, but that the latter had defeated itself.
Still, said Chu, Ma must continue with reforms within the party if he wanted to convince voters that he was a true reformer and wrest back power that the KMT lost in 2000 because of corruption.
As for Chen, Chu expected that he would try to appeal to his supporters on the ground to avoid being a lame-duck president, by improving on his performance, particularly by liberalising his cross-strait policy.
However, Beijing was unlikely to give him the political room because Chinese leaders did not trust him, said Chinese security analyst Wang Xiangsui.
He noted also the election results showed that the ground in Taiwan had shifted on the cross-strait issue and that there was greater acceptance of the pan-Blue camp's cross-strait position.
Beijing's "intervention" in Taiwan's politics through the island's opposition parties - by inviting these parties to visit the mainland and offering economic goodies to Taiwanese through them - was bearing fruit, he added.
Indeed, Yen noted that the failure of DPP's supporters to respond to Chen's warning that the party's defeat would threaten the island's sovereignty showed that the mainland's Taiwan policy was working.
#6
Posted 05 December 2005 - 10:39 AM
Chen Shui-bian and the DPP came on with many people afraid he might push for independance.
He stopped just short of mentioning the word.
The KMT had managed before 2000 for decades to run the country, keeping a form of co-existance.
Mr. Ma is outspoken, let's see if he can do more than just talk.
IMO, either KMT or DPP, status quo will not be changed.
He stopped just short of mentioning the word.
The KMT had managed before 2000 for decades to run the country, keeping a form of co-existance.
Mr. Ma is outspoken, let's see if he can do more than just talk.
IMO, either KMT or DPP, status quo will not be changed.
#7
Posted 05 December 2005 - 01:33 PM
The Kuomintang is 93 years and actually Chinese.
But they were forced to move to Taiwan 55 years ago, which is a long time ago, the old guard is either dead or dying and the KMT leaders and their voters are now as Taiwanese as the DPP voters.
Besides as Axel said, the KMT ruled Taiwan for half a century keeping the relationship with the mainland unchanged, no independance but no reunification, so don't expect them to change that now.
But they were forced to move to Taiwan 55 years ago, which is a long time ago, the old guard is either dead or dying and the KMT leaders and their voters are now as Taiwanese as the DPP voters.
Besides as Axel said, the KMT ruled Taiwan for half a century keeping the relationship with the mainland unchanged, no independance but no reunification, so don't expect them to change that now.
#8
Posted 15 January 2006 - 09:40 AM
Taiwan's governing party is set to hold elections for a new chairman, after a difficult few months.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4613796.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4613796.stm
#9
Posted 17 January 2006 - 12:43 PM
Taiwan's Prime Minister Frank Hsieh announces his resignation, after his party's defeat in December's poll.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4619216.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4619216.stm
#10
Posted 19 January 2006 - 01:07 PM
Taiwan's president appoints former chief of staff Su Tseng-chang as PM, two days after Frank Hsieh quit.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4626738.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4626738.stm
#11
Posted 25 January 2006 - 02:26 PM
Taiwan's new Cabinet is sworn into office, a week after former Premier Frank Hsieh resigned.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4645710.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/4645710.stm
#12
Posted 04 June 2006 - 07:41 AM
Thousands rally in Taipei, demanding Chen's ouster
(Reuters).Updated: 2006-06-03. China Daily
TAIPEI - Thousands of people rallied in Taipei on Saturday, joining an opposition call to demand "president" Chen Shui-bian's resignation over an insider trading scandal involving his son-in-law.
Shouting "Ah-bian step down", they gathered near the "presidential office" in central Taipei as riot police with baton and shields kept watch behind barbed-wire barricades set up to keep protesters at bay.
Thousands of Taiwanese protesters gather before a large stage at a rally calling for President Chen Shui-bian to step down over an insider-trading scandal involving his son-in-law in Taipei June 3, 2006. The banner at the back of the stage reads: "Ah-bian step down," referring to Chen's nickname.
Chen, whose nick-name is Ah bian, has faced growing pressure to step down after his son-in-law was detained last month on suspicion of using insider information to buy shares of Taiwan Development Corp. from a partly state-owned bank.
"Probe graft to the very end", said placards carried by the demonstrators.
Chen, whose approval rating has sunk to new lows, and his son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming, have apologised. And Chao, who has been detained, has denied any wrongdoing.
Chen has agreed to yield some powers to "premier" Su Tseng-chang and approved the resignations of his closest aides in an apparent attempt to deflect pressure from both supporters and opponents to step down.
But Chen's moves were too late for the People First Party, Taiwan's second-biggest opposition party, which organised the protest.
Analysts said the struggling party was seeking to seize the initiative after Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the main opposition Nationalist Party, angered supporters by opposing calls for Chen to be recalled in a parliamentary vote.
(Reuters).Updated: 2006-06-03. China Daily
TAIPEI - Thousands of people rallied in Taipei on Saturday, joining an opposition call to demand "president" Chen Shui-bian's resignation over an insider trading scandal involving his son-in-law.
Shouting "Ah-bian step down", they gathered near the "presidential office" in central Taipei as riot police with baton and shields kept watch behind barbed-wire barricades set up to keep protesters at bay.
Thousands of Taiwanese protesters gather before a large stage at a rally calling for President Chen Shui-bian to step down over an insider-trading scandal involving his son-in-law in Taipei June 3, 2006. The banner at the back of the stage reads: "Ah-bian step down," referring to Chen's nickname.
Chen, whose nick-name is Ah bian, has faced growing pressure to step down after his son-in-law was detained last month on suspicion of using insider information to buy shares of Taiwan Development Corp. from a partly state-owned bank.
"Probe graft to the very end", said placards carried by the demonstrators.
Chen, whose approval rating has sunk to new lows, and his son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming, have apologised. And Chao, who has been detained, has denied any wrongdoing.
Chen has agreed to yield some powers to "premier" Su Tseng-chang and approved the resignations of his closest aides in an apparent attempt to deflect pressure from both supporters and opponents to step down.
But Chen's moves were too late for the People First Party, Taiwan's second-biggest opposition party, which organised the protest.
Analysts said the struggling party was seeking to seize the initiative after Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the main opposition Nationalist Party, angered supporters by opposing calls for Chen to be recalled in a parliamentary vote.
#13
Posted 07 June 2006 - 03:20 PM
Taiwan's main opposition party backs moves to try and force President Chen Shui-bian from office.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5054624.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5054624.stm
#14
Posted 12 June 2006 - 01:48 PM
Taiwan MPs vote to hold a meeting to consider a motion to push for the removal of President Chen Shui-bian.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5070550.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5070550.stm
#15
Posted 13 June 2006 - 03:38 PM
Taiwan's opposition launches a motion to oust President Chen Shui-ban, in the wake of a series of scandals.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5074448.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5074448.stm
#16
Posted 20 June 2006 - 05:48 PM
Taiwan's president is to defend his administration in a TV address amid opposition moves to oust him.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5097390.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5097390.stm
#17
Posted 09 September 2006 - 06:30 PM
Tens of thousands march in Taiwan to urge President Chen Shui-bian to resign over corruption allegations.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5329816.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5329816.stm
#18
Posted 10 September 2006 - 12:58 PM
Demonstrations calling for Taiwan's president to resign continue with thousands gathering in Taipei.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5331758.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5331758.stm
#19
Posted 15 September 2006 - 07:36 PM
Thousands of Taiwanese march through the capital's streets demanding President Chen Shui-bian resign.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5348830.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5348830.stm
#20
Posted 16 September 2006 - 01:52 PM
Supporters of Taiwan's president are to hold a mass demonstration after opponents rally against him.
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5351368.stm
http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/5351368.stm
