Both DPP and KMT need unity to win, but Ko Wen-je and his Taiwan People’s Party may ultimately prove decisive

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/08/18
By: David Spencer, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

KAOHSIUNG (Taiwan News) — Divide and rule is a political strategy that can be traced all the way back to Niccolò Machiavelli and Renaissance Italy, but it is less relevant and effective today as it was then.

For Machiavelli, divide and rule was about empowering sovereigns to keep control of their citizens, many of whom had competing interests. In modern two-party democracies, it is more about uniting your own side while seeking to divide the other.

It is a strategy that looks likely to be central to Taiwan’s forthcoming presidential election. The country is increasingly polarized along party lines, especially regarding relations with communist China.

As a result, the presidential election looks increasingly likely to be a de-facto referendum on cross-strait ties. Both sides will need to unite their respective factions behind a single candidate to stand any chance of success.    [FULL  STORY]