Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10TAIPEI38
2010-01-11 09:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
OPPOSITION SWEEPS LEGISLATIVE BY-ELECTIONS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000038
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW CH
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION SWEEPS LEGISLATIVE BY-ELECTIONS
REF: TAIPEI 0031
Classified By: Political Section Chief Dave H. Rank for Reasons 1.4(B/D
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000038
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW CH
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION SWEEPS LEGISLATIVE BY-ELECTIONS
REF: TAIPEI 0031
Classified By: Political Section Chief Dave H. Rank for Reasons 1.4(B/D
).
1. (SBU) Summary: Surprising most observers, including many
within the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
itself, the DPP swept Taiwan's January 9 legislative
by-elections, winning three seats in the KMT strongholds.
Although the DPP still controls only a small minority of the
seats in the Legislative Yuan (LY),the vote is another
political blow to the Ma Ying-jeou administration. Shaken,
the KMT has an opportunity to regroup in February, when its
candidates are better positioned to win in another set of
legislative by-elections. End Summary.
DPP Scores an Unlikely Trifecta
--------------
2. (SBU) Candidates from Taiwan's opposition DPP party scored
a trifecta, winning January 9 parliamentary by-election races
in Taichung, Taitung, and Taoyuan counties, three
traditional KMT strongholds. Observers noted that the KMT
faced challenges in all three races. Two of the seats were
vacated when the KMT legislators originally elected were
convicted of vote-buying and the KMT candidate for the third
seat had been dogged by scandal. Nevertheless, the results
were yet another setback for the Ma administration. KMT
Secretary General King Pu-tsung, who worked on Ma's
presidential campaign and was only recently called into
service following KMT setbacks in the December elections,
told local media that he, Ma, and the party would face the
results of the election squarely, learn from the loss, and
continue reform efforts. KMT legislators were scheduled to
meet with Ma January 10 for a post-election strategy session,
and a number have already publicly urged Ma, who is also KMT
Chairman, to accelerate party reforms, weed out the
vote-buying practice prevalent in local politics, and
strengthen communication with the legislature and the public.
3. (SBU) The vote gives the DPP 30 seats in the LY, just over
one-quarter of the total. More importantly, the DPP now has
the votes to file motions to recall the President or amend
the constitution. More practically, the DPP now can
introduce legislation, request the President to appear before
the legislature, and block KMT-proposed constitutional
amendments. Speaking to the media, DPP Chair Tsai Ing-wen
confirmed that her party had no plans to push for Ma's
recall, but said the party would use its new leverage to
check the power of the KMT.
DPP Lineup for 2012?
--------------
4. (SBU) In one indication of the DPP's renewed energy,
Taiwan's media were rife with speculation about the future of
the party. Former President Lee Teng-hui suggested former
DPP Chair Lin Yi-hsiung and current chair Tsai Ing-wen run as
the DPP's candidates for president and vice president in
2012. Lin, whose mother and twin daughters were murdered
while he was serving a prison term for his role in the 1979
Kaohsiung Incident, remains popular today, and, with the
DPP's recent electoral successes, Tsai has consolidated her
position and influence with DPP supporters. When asked by
the press, Lin did not rule out a presidential run in 2012
while Tsai responded that the party's nomination policy would
be decided by its members at the DPP national congress
January 24.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Both parties, surprised by the outcome of the most
recent by-election, are buckling down for the next
legislative by-elections and, more importantly, the crucial
year-end elections in the five special municipalities -
Taipei City, New Taipei City (Taipei County),Taichung,
Kaohsiung, and Tainan. The KMT should fare better in next
month's legislative by-elections, since the KMT officials who
vacated those seats left because they won in last December's
county magistrate races, rather than in the wake of
TAIPEI 00000038 002 OF 002
corruption prosecutions.
STANTON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW CH
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION SWEEPS LEGISLATIVE BY-ELECTIONS
REF: TAIPEI 0031
Classified By: Political Section Chief Dave H. Rank for Reasons 1.4(B/D
).
1. (SBU) Summary: Surprising most observers, including many
within the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
itself, the DPP swept Taiwan's January 9 legislative
by-elections, winning three seats in the KMT strongholds.
Although the DPP still controls only a small minority of the
seats in the Legislative Yuan (LY),the vote is another
political blow to the Ma Ying-jeou administration. Shaken,
the KMT has an opportunity to regroup in February, when its
candidates are better positioned to win in another set of
legislative by-elections. End Summary.
DPP Scores an Unlikely Trifecta
--------------
2. (SBU) Candidates from Taiwan's opposition DPP party scored
a trifecta, winning January 9 parliamentary by-election races
in Taichung, Taitung, and Taoyuan counties, three
traditional KMT strongholds. Observers noted that the KMT
faced challenges in all three races. Two of the seats were
vacated when the KMT legislators originally elected were
convicted of vote-buying and the KMT candidate for the third
seat had been dogged by scandal. Nevertheless, the results
were yet another setback for the Ma administration. KMT
Secretary General King Pu-tsung, who worked on Ma's
presidential campaign and was only recently called into
service following KMT setbacks in the December elections,
told local media that he, Ma, and the party would face the
results of the election squarely, learn from the loss, and
continue reform efforts. KMT legislators were scheduled to
meet with Ma January 10 for a post-election strategy session,
and a number have already publicly urged Ma, who is also KMT
Chairman, to accelerate party reforms, weed out the
vote-buying practice prevalent in local politics, and
strengthen communication with the legislature and the public.
3. (SBU) The vote gives the DPP 30 seats in the LY, just over
one-quarter of the total. More importantly, the DPP now has
the votes to file motions to recall the President or amend
the constitution. More practically, the DPP now can
introduce legislation, request the President to appear before
the legislature, and block KMT-proposed constitutional
amendments. Speaking to the media, DPP Chair Tsai Ing-wen
confirmed that her party had no plans to push for Ma's
recall, but said the party would use its new leverage to
check the power of the KMT.
DPP Lineup for 2012?
--------------
4. (SBU) In one indication of the DPP's renewed energy,
Taiwan's media were rife with speculation about the future of
the party. Former President Lee Teng-hui suggested former
DPP Chair Lin Yi-hsiung and current chair Tsai Ing-wen run as
the DPP's candidates for president and vice president in
2012. Lin, whose mother and twin daughters were murdered
while he was serving a prison term for his role in the 1979
Kaohsiung Incident, remains popular today, and, with the
DPP's recent electoral successes, Tsai has consolidated her
position and influence with DPP supporters. When asked by
the press, Lin did not rule out a presidential run in 2012
while Tsai responded that the party's nomination policy would
be decided by its members at the DPP national congress
January 24.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Both parties, surprised by the outcome of the most
recent by-election, are buckling down for the next
legislative by-elections and, more importantly, the crucial
year-end elections in the five special municipalities -
Taipei City, New Taipei City (Taipei County),Taichung,
Kaohsiung, and Tainan. The KMT should fare better in next
month's legislative by-elections, since the KMT officials who
vacated those seats left because they won in last December's
county magistrate races, rather than in the wake of
TAIPEI 00000038 002 OF 002
corruption prosecutions.
STANTON