Taiwan’s Political Parties Strive To Garner Support Ahead Of Polls
TAIPEI: Taiwanese will go to the polls to vote for their legislators this Saturday. With the number of seats in parliament reduced by half, candidates from various political camps are doing their utmost to garner support.
The down-sizing from 225 to 113 seats follows consensus that the former size was unwieldy and expensive to maintain.
At polling stations on Saturday, voters will collect four ballot papers. The first is for the choice of Member of Parliament, the second is for the selection of a political party, and on the remaining two, the voter must indicate if he or she supports the referendum issues at stake.
The first referendum issue was proposed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party - it wants the main opposition Kuomintang to give up party assets amounting to more than US$800 million.
The DPP claims these funds were corruptly obtained during the KMT’s forty-year rule of the island.
The second referendum issue was proposed by the Kuomintang. It calls for tougher anti-corruption measures, taking a dig at the ruling party which has been embroiled in a series of scandals.
With the complex voting procedure this time round, the ruling party has been making certain that its supporters know just what to do on polling day.
The DPP and its ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, form the green camp. Together, they captured close to 45 percent of the seats at the last parliamentary elections in 2004.
But some political observers expect the coalition to take a drubbing on Saturday due to its poor economic record in the last few years.
Lee Fu Dian, Law Professor at the Chinese Culture University, said: “I think the Democratic Progressive Party will win around 30 seats. It may clinch up to 15 more, making it 45 seats in all.
“Unlike previously, only one lawmaker will be elected in each constituency. This is the reason behind the fierce competition.”
Analysts believe a major advantage of the blue camp - comprising the KMT and its allies - is its strong grassroots network.
Observers have warned that political tensions in Taiwan could worsen after the legislative polls.
If the opposition KMT secures a two-thirds majority in parliament, it could well initiate a fresh presidential recall.
But such a move is certain to trigger a backlash from the green camp and might even lead to islandwide unrest. This would be potentially disruptive not just for Taiwan but also the rest of East Asia.
- CNA/so
Channel News Asia