Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-22
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The New Power Party said Friday it would not name a candidate for the post of legislative speaker, while setting conditions for the kind of candidate it would support.

In the January 16 elections, the Democratic Progressive Party won 68 out of 113 seats, making it virtually certain that its candidate will be elected speaker on February 1.

The NPP won five seats, coming third behind the Kuomintang, which held on to 35 seats. Presidential candidate James Soong’s People First Party won three seats, and independents of various backgrounds won two.

At its first official caucus meeting Friday, the NPP said it would not name its own candidates to run for speaker or vice speaker, but would review other candidates for their legislative review plans, their past political behavior, their social reputation and their ability to conduct foreign parliamentary relations.

Any candidate should first propose a clear blueprint for reforming the Legislature, said NPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, one of the five lawmakers from the party, which emerged from the ranks of the Sunflower Movement.     [FULL STORY]