Two former chairmen of Taiwan’s main opposition party – the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) -- say they will not vie for the chairmanship during party elections in late May. The two former chairmen are Su Tseng-chang and Frank Hsieh. Both released statements on Monday, as the party began the filing process for candidates.
Su announced his decision in a Facebook post on Monday. He said that during his last two years as the head of the DPP, he could tell the public had high hopes for the party. But, he said, he could also see frustration with the party’s inability to live up to expectations. Su said that while support for the DPP had surpassed support for the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), the DPP had been unable to promote Taiwanese values and protect the rights of the people.
Taiwan is set to hold municipal elections in November. Su said that in order for the DPP to keep its focus ahead of the vote, it was important for the party to avoid internal disputes. Therefore, he said, he was taking his hat out of the ring in the chairmanship race.
Meanwhile, Hsieh said in a statement that it was important for the party to galvanize support and win back the public’s trust. He said it was necessary to move beyond party factions and increase communication in order to hand the reins of government over to the people.
The absence of Su and Hsieh from the race paves the way for another former DPP chair – Tsai Ing-wen – who was also the party’s first female candidate for president in 2012.
Tsai said Monday that there had been growing public discontent in the past six years, and that the DPP should reexamine its role. She said that in the face of the many challenges ahead, it was vital for party members to work together.