Taiwan’s ‘third force’ threatens Tsai’s DPP legislative majority

Independent and small-party candidates set to take seats in Jan. 11 election

Nikkei Asian Review
Date: December 30, 2019
By: CHENG TING-FANG, LAULY LI, Nikkei staff writers, and KENJI KAWASE, Nikkei Asian Review chief business news correspondent

NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen may be the odds-on favorite to win a second term in the Jan. 11 election, but her ruling Democratic Progressive Party faces a bigger struggle to retain control of the legislative yuan.

Candidates running for Tsai's China-skeptic DPP in the parliamentary race face stiff opposition, not only from the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang but also from "third-force" independent and small-party aspirants.6

While the DPP is likely to remain the biggest party, Tsai — should she retain the presidency — will need her party to hold on to its majority in parliament to push her agenda forward. This includes further reducing the island's economic and political dependence on Beijing, and promoting issues such as LGBT rights and increasing renewable energy capacity as she seeks to phase out the island's nuclear power plants.

The DPP currently holds 68 out of 113 seats in the legislature, while the Kuomintang has 35. Eight seats are held by two smaller parties and the remaining two by independents.
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