PDF(2.7mb) - 國家政策研究基金會

Party Politics after the 2008 Legislative Election 93
Party Politics after the 2008 Legislative Election
CHEN, Chao-cheng
Abstract
This article aims to observe and analyze the conditions of party politics after the legislative
election of 2008. Bipartisan politics is in place in Taiwan, which there is a de facto
predominant party in the Legislative Yuan. The Democratic Progressive Party, which has
only 27 of the 133 seats in the unicameral chamber, is resorting to street movements for
keeping its power base.
The Kuomintang, which controls the overwhelming majority and won the presidential
election, is expected to take advantage of being a “majority government” to exercise the
“complete ruling” power. However, coordination is not as harmonious as is expected
among President Ma Ying-jeou, the Cabinet, and Kuomintang legislators as well as their
party leadership. Furthermore, the global economic crisis and domestic political dispute
have frustrated the Kuomintang’s government. Its predominance in parliament has failed to
bring about satisfactory results.
On the other hand, despite holding less than a quarter of the parliamentary seats, the
Democratic Progressive Party has managed to create enough controversial issues on the
floor of the Legislative Yuan to exercise its power of checks and balances. But it has failed
to get out of the shadow of President Chen Shui-bian, who is standing trial for corruption
and graft in addition to money laundry.
If both parties cannot solve their problems, most middle-of-the road voters may stay
out of the polls in the future. The results of elections then will be decided by core supporters
of the two parties. One has to wait until the end of 2009 when voters go to the polls to
elect 21 mayors and magistrates across the country to find out how the two parties can mobilize
enough supporters to win the elections.