In 1986, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officially became Taiwan's first opposition party. The DPP made history when its candidate, Chen Shui-bian, won the presidential election in 2000. This ended the 50-year one-party rule of the Kuomintang, which had been in power in Taiwan since 1949.
The DPP has historically taken a hard stance on Taiwanese independence and sovereignty. In contrast to the ruling Kuomintang, the DPP has worked to distance itself from Mainland China.
The DPP has made major political gains since the 1990s. After Chen Shui-bian won the 2000 presidential elections, he was re-elected to a second term by a close margin in 2004. But Chen's second term was marred by corruption, which has left a mark on the DPP and its reputation.
Although the party has worked hard to improve its public image, the DPP lost in Taiwan's presidential elections in January, 2012. Party head and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen stepped down following her loss. Su Tseng-chang took over as party chairman. In May 2014, Tsai Ing-wen was again elected as party chairperson, winning over 90% of the votes. In April, the DPP announced that Tsai will be the party’s candidate for next year’s presidential election. She is widely tipped as a favorite.