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The December 1 democratic elections will
be Taiwan's biggest political event of the year and will have a significant
impact on how the island is governed. Although the Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP) controls the executive branch, it has been a minority
party in the Legislative Yuan, where the Kuomintang (KMT) -- which
held the reins of power in Taiwan for half a century -- controls the
most seats. December 1 will also see the election of the heads of
all of Taiwan's counties and several of its cities.
All seats in the Legislature are being contested in this election. The DPP hopes to control the most seats; but the opposition is putting up a fierce battle. The KMT, however, is not the only opposition party. Added to the mix are the People First Party (PFP), headed by former Taiwan Provincial Governor James Soong; the New Party, which broke off from the KMT in 1993; the newly established Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), which is boosted by the backing of its "spiritual leader," former President Lee Teng-hui; and a wide variety of independent candidates and representatives of small parties.
To boost the chances to win, the various parties have formed alliances in several races. The New Party's candidate for the Taipei County magistrate, for example, won the support of the Kuomintang after topping a public opinion survey and became the "pan-blue" candidate. Meanwhile, the DPP and TSU -- the "pan-green" alliance -- are working together in some districts and competing against each other in others.
Among the most-discussed issues in this year's campaigns are Taiwan's
economic situation, cross-strait relations. With less than a month
before the election, campaign-related events and issues are taking
up more and more of the news.
To help our readers understand more about the issues behind this election and its possible effect on the island's political arena, Taiwan Headlines has organized this new area of our Web site. Please explore the many documents and links here to learn more about Taiwan's strong, vibrant democracy.
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