Selection - From Opposition to Power: Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party

Selection - From Opposition to Power: Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party
Should be an interesting read; NLB has it listed, but not ready for loan yet. Below is a selection from the book.
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In Taiwan, the ruling party is called the governing party (zhizheng dang), but the opposition is called the party in the wildness (zaiye dang). The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has thus come out of the wildness in the general elections in March 2000 to become the governing party, an unprecedented upset in Taiwan's democratic system that saw the overthrown of the Kuomintang's (KMT) more than 50-year-rule over the nation island. After winning the presidency on March 18, 2000, DPP membership enrollment shot up to more than 400,000 by the end of the year, a feat that worries the party more than it has brought celebrations. How the DPP achieved the ultimate pursuit of the presidency, how the party is organized and how politics work in Taiwan is explained in a scholarly fashion by Shelley Rigger, an associate professor of East Asian Politics at Davidson College, who has lived in Taiwan for long periods.

The book's 10 chapters deal nearly on all aspects of Taiwanese politics, focusing on the DPP from its history, its path to power and the decision-making machinery to its role in the 21st century. Readers will learn that the development of political parties in Taiwan is not based on socio-economic classes, which is the case in some Western countries like Britain's Labor and Conservative parties which are vying for the interests of their own classes. The absence of class-based politics has been a problem for DPP, and to a certain extent to other political parties as well. Taiwanese join the DPP and Dangwai Movement with the aim of toppling the KMT, its autocratic and martial law rules and for a host of other reasons. Some are pushed by personal animosity or by ideological conviction. Some want independence for Taiwan, which is a main platform for the DPP. Some resent the KMT's policy of favoring supporters by granting them business contracts. Thus the KMT is regarded as pro-business and pro heavy industry, and the DPP anti-business. The perception of an anti-business DPP continues until the present time. Take the example of Bayer's decision to cancel project to build a pharmaceutical company in Taiwan. The DPP has to rely on non-economic issues in its campaign, but it has also won the support for its defense of the environment.


Readers will learn that Taiwan's political parties are strongly influenced by mainland China's ties with the Soviet Union decades ago when the KMT was beginning to take form. Both the KMT and DPP are organized under a Leninist model, both are headed by strong chairmen, who hold the decision-making authority.

Corruption in Taiwanese politics is another topic fully analyzed by the author and efforts made to abolish the National Assembly. The DPP in power now is facing the 21st century. But the most immediate challenge to its authority as it holds the rein of government is the December legislative elections.

It has survived an ideological fight by shifting away from its platform that called for a strong independence stance. The upcoming election is a crucial test for "its popularity, unity and competence," says the author. "Without the cooperation of the legislature and the professional bureaucracy, Chen Shui-bian will be hard-pressed to carry out the campaign promises on which he was elected," she says. Other challenge Chen is facing is explained by Rigger, including cross-strait relations under a DPP administration and issues of governance.

If the DPP succeeds in maintaining power, will Taiwan become a principally two-party political system? she asks. "Despite its imperfections, the Republic of China on Taiwan has made enormous progress over the past 20 years," Rigger says.