New Dawn Emerges in Taiwan

“Light Up Taiwan” – the mantra was repeated so many times by the multitude of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters assembled during the pre-election day rally in front of the Presidential Office Building of Taiwan. The next day, election day, the mantra became a reality when the voters ‘lit’ the ballots of change to give the DPP a historic landslide victory.  DPP Chairperson Dr. Ing-wen Tsai was elected as the first woman to hold office as President of Taiwan, and this victory was made even sweeter when the DPP won majority of the seats in the Legislative Yuan – another historic first.

  The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) was in Taiwan from 13-17 January 2016 to witness this glorious moment firsthand.  These twenty-three delegates from ten countries, who convened in Taipei to learn about the latest innovations in campaign strategies and and to show liberal solidarity to the DPP, were so moved and inspired by the resounding victory of their sister-party in CALD.

During their stay, the members of the delegation visited the DPP Headquarters in Taiwan and Taoyuan for an election briefing and a discussion on vital election issues such as DPP’s International Agenda and New Southbound Policy, New Immigrants in Taiwan Society, Taiwan’s Democratic Roadmap, Gender Issues at the DPP, Human Rights and Judicial Reform, and Youth Issues and Innovations.

Mr. James Huang, director of the DPP International Affairs Department, led the discussions and introduced the New Southbound Policy, which promotes the development of networks and relations with Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The Southbound Policy is part of DPP’s platform for foreign relations. Ms. Lin Ching-Yi, a medical doctor who works as director of DPP’s Women’s Department, talked about the situation of migrants in Taiwan and challenges they face. The discussion on immigration is part of Dr. Tsai’s New Residents Policy.

Members of Taiwan’s democratic movement were also present to tackle Taiwan’s history and democratic transition. Former DPP Chair Hsu Hsin-liang, who previously served as Taoyuan County commissioner, talked about his fight for freedom after he was impeached for his support of opposition activities. He also provided an overview of the coordination and campaign efforts in Taoyuan and Hsinchu.

As part of the CALD Women’s Caucus’ efforts to empower women leaders in Asia, the mission included a discussion on gender issues, which highlighted Dr. Tsai as the first female presidential candidate in Taiwan’s history.  Human rights and gender equality have always been a priority for the DPP, according to Ms. Yu Mei-Nu, DPP Legislator At-large, who also shared insights on women’s rights and the struggle to pass gender equality bills in the legislature.

The delegation stayed until election results were out and celebrated with the DPP its victory. Dr. Tsai received 6,894,744 votes (56% of the total votes) while her closest contender from the Kuomintang (KMT) received 3,813,365 votes (31% of the total votes). The DPP also got the majority in the legislature with 68 seats out of the 113 seats. Kuomintang came in second with 35 seats. Another historic moment was the victory of former CALD Secretary General Bi-khim Hsiao who is the first ever DPP candidate to win in Hualien County, a predominantly Kuomintang region.

The light is lit – it is the start of a new dawn in Taiwan. As Dr. Tsai said in her victory speech, “This election is now over and brings end to the conflicts and frictions in the election campaigns. Together, with the 23 million people of Taiwan, we will overcome the challenges that this country faces. We will not be divided by the elections, instead we will become more united because of our democracy.”