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| / Home / Contents / 05. Democracy and the Electoral System |
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| Excitement fills the air in this scene from a campaign rally held during the run-up to the 2005 three-in-one election. |
- Revised electoral system
- National Assembly election
- Three-in-one local election
Taiwan's political reform process continued in 2005 with
two unprecedented major elections being held.
The first of these, the election of an ad hoc National Assembly 國民大會 took
place in May. With the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 民主進步黨
and opposition Kuomintang (KMT) 中國國民黨 gaining a combined total of 81 percent
of votes, their shared endorsement of constitutional revisions ensured
the smooth passage of constitutional amendments by the National Assembly
the following month. These changes, including a halving of the number
of legislative seats, adoption of a "single-constituency, two-ballot"
electoral system, enshrinement in the Constitution of the right of referendum,
and permanent abolition of the National Assembly itself, will greatly
revamp the electoral system, thereby improving the quality of the legislative
process and endowing the people with the power to approve constitutional
amendments.
The second major election of 2005, the three-in-one local election, was held in December. Hitherto, the election of county magistrates 縣長 and provincial municipality mayors 省轄市市長 had been held about two months before the elections of county and provincial municipality councilors 縣市議員 and elections of rural and urban township magistrates 鄉鎮長 and county municipality mayors 縣轄市市長. The unprecedented combination of these three local elections in 2005 proved an effective means of reducing the costs associated with holding elections and preventing excessive political mobilization.
Each step along the long path toward Taiwan's democratization, from the lifting of martial law and the bans on the formation of new political parties and newspapers, to the complete overhaul of the national legislature, direct election of the president, peaceful transfer of political power, first national referendum, and latest attempts at constitutional reform, has resulted from the collaborative efforts of the people and the government. With growing public confidence and consensus between the governing and opposition parties, Taiwan will remain on its course toward further political reform which, in turn, will help Taiwan become a full-fledged democracy.
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| Central Election Commission |
Founded in 1980, the Central Election Commission (CEC) 中央選舉委員會 under the Executive Yuan 行政院 is responsible for holding and supervising national and local elections, screening candidate qualifications, recalling elected officials, and drafting or amending laws concerning elections. The CEC is headed by a chairperson and consists of 11 to 19 commissioners who, after nomination by the premier and confirmation by the president, serve a term of three years. To guarantee the impartiality of the CEC, the Public Officials Election and Recall Act 公職人員選舉罷免法 rules that commissioners from any single political party shall not constitute more than two-fifths of the whole commission. |
Electoral Systems
Elections for important posts in Taiwan's government are held regularly, political parties have matured, and people actively participate in campaigns and elections. The people of Taiwan now have greater control over national affairs than ever before. Voting eligibility is defined broadly: the minimum voting age is 20, and there are no gender, property, or educational requirements. Voter registration is automatic and citizens are notified of all impending elections through the distribution of a bulletin or gazette that identifies and describes the candidates and their platforms for each district.
Voting is usually scheduled for Saturdays when a large number of election
workers, typically teachers, civil servants, and other dedicated local
citizens, administer paper ballots at conveniently located polling stations.
These workers count the votes accurately and quickly, reporting the results
within a few hours of the polls' closing. By international standards,
election administration in Taiwan is transparent, open, and highly efficient.
Taiwan's electoral process varies according to the office being contested.
For such executive posts as president and vice president (which form a
single ticket), special municipality mayors 直轄市市長, county magistrates,
provincial municipality mayors, rural and urban township magistrates,
and county municipality mayors, each voter casts one vote in a single-member
district, with the candidate receiving a plurality of the vote being elected.
The term of office for these executive posts is four years.
In elections for special municipality councils 直轄市議會, county or city
councils 縣市議會, and township councils 鄉鎮市民代表會, voters cast a single non-transferable
vote (SNTV). Normally, several representatives are elected from a single
electoral district, which is based on existing administrative boundaries.
Each voter casts only one vote, with several leading candidates being
elected. These councilors also serve a term of four years.
Since 1991, a certain number of seats in the National Assembly and Legislative
Yuan 立法院 have been reserved for the national constituency and for citizens
residing abroad. These seats are allocated by proportional representation.
Prior to an election, each party submits two lists of candidates, one
for the national constituency and the other for citizens residing abroad.
Taiwan's voters do not vote directly for candidates on the party lists
but, instead, vote in their respective SNTV districts, with the votes
obtained by all candidates being totaled on the basis of party affiliation.
Seats for the national constituency and for citizens residing abroad are
then distributed proportionally among those parties obtaining at least
5 percent of total valid votes nationwide. Twenty-two percent of the seats
in the 2004 Legislative Yuan election were filled this way.
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| Taiwan's voters, irrespective of age or gender, are enthusiastic in exercising their voting rights. |
From 1991 to 2000, the National Assembly amended the Constitution six times, making a number of changes to the electoral mechanism. First, the terms of office for the ROC president and national assemblymen were shortened from six years to four, and proportional representation was introduced to the Legislative Yuan and National Assembly elections. Further, as a result of the revisions made in 2000, the National Assembly became an ad hoc body. Second, the president and vice president are now elected by direct popular vote, rather than indirectly by the National Assembly as previously. To be elected, a presidential and vice presidential ticket needs only a plurality, not a majority, of the vote. Third, the method of selecting members of the Control Yuan 監察院 was changed. Previously, Control Yuan members were elected by provincial assemblies and special municipality councils. They are now nominated and appointed by the president with the approval of the Legislative Yuan. This reform has transformed the Control Yuan from a parliamentary body to a semi-judicial institution (see also Chapter 4: Government). Fourth, the constitutional amendments passed in 1997 streamlined the provincial government. As a consequence, the provincial governor and members of the Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council were no longer directly elected.
On August 23, 2004, the Legislative Yuan passed a resolution for further constitutional amendment. It was made public for six months and required approval by the ad hoc National Assembly elected on May 14, 2005. On June 7, the amendment was ratified by a resolution of 83.6 percent of the National Assembly members present at the meeting.
| 2005 Constitutional Amendments to the Electoral System |
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Political Parties
As of June 2006, a total of 118 political parties had registered with the Ministry of the Interior 內政部. The six largest parties are the Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, People First Party 親民黨, Taiwan Solidarity Union 台灣團結聯盟, Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 無黨團結聯盟, and New Party 新黨, all of which won seats in the 2004 Legislative Yuan election.
The Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan Solidarity Union make up the "pan-green" coalition, while the Kuomintang, People First Party, and New Party comprise the "pan-blue" coalition.
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the current governing party in
Taiwan, was formed on September 28, 1986. Its founding members included
defense lawyers and family members of political activists who had been
imprisoned for their involvement in the Kaohsiung Incident 美麗島事件 of December
1979. (For further details of the Kaohsiung Incident see Chapter 3: History.)
The DPP is a member of Liberal International and a founding member of
the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, two international organizations
for liberal and democratic parties.
The DPP consists of a National Congress 全國黨員代表大會 that elects 30 members
to the Central Executive Committee 中央執行委員會 and 11 members to the Central
Review Committee 中央評議委員會. The Central Executive Committee, in turn, elects
the 10 members of the Central Standing Committee 中央常務執行委員會. Members of
these committees all serve two-year terms.
On January 15, 2006, former Premier Yu Shyi-kun 游錫堃 succeeded Su Tseng-chang 蘇貞昌 as party chairman with 54.4 percent of the vote in a fiercely fought contest within the party.
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT; "Nationalist Party") traces its roots to the Hsing-chung Hui 興中會 ("Society for Regenerating China"), a revolutionary organization established by Dr. Sun Yat-sen 孫中山 with the aim of overthrowing the Ching dynasty (1644-1911) and building an independent, democratic, and prosperous China. It celebrated its 111th anniversary on November 24, 2005. The KMT ruled Taiwan from the end of World War II until its defeat by the DPP in the 2000 presidential election.
The National Congress 全國代表大會 is the KMT's highest authority; its main duties include amending the party charter, determining the party platform and other important policies, electing Central Committee 中央委員會 members, approving vice chairpersons and members of the Central Advisory Council 中央評議委員會 appointed by the chairperson, and ratifying candidates nominated to run for president and vice president. The Central Standing Committee 中央常務委員會, which represents the Central Committee when that body is not in session, is the most influential organization in the KMT.
On July 16, 2005, Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 won the election for KMT party chairman, obtaining 71.5 percent of the vote to beat his opponent Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng 王金平. This was the first time in the KMT's history that more than one candidate joined the race for the party chair.
People First Party
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| In Taiwan, large-scale election rallies are quite common, with tens of thousands of people taking to the street to express support for their favorite candidates. |
Running as an independent in the 2000 presidential election, former KMT provincial governor James Soong 宋楚瑜 lost by less than 3 percent of the vote to the DPP's Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁. Immediately after the election, Soong's supporters called on him to form a new party. The People First Party (PFP) was established soon after, attracting a number of KMT and New Party lawmakers. It is now the third largest party in the Legislative Yuan behind the DPP and KMT.
The PFP's highest policy-making body is its National Council 全國委員會, which elects a Central Executive Committee 中央執行委員會 comprised of 21 members and 7 alternate members. The PFP is currently led by James Soong, who was elected the first PFP chairman in March 2000, and re-elected in May 2002 and July 2005.
In order to form an effective force to counter-balance the DPP-led government, summit talks between the leaders of the KMT and PFP have been held since September 2005 to discuss the possible integration of the opposition alliance. The parties decided after these talks that for the time being, closer cooperation was preferable to a merger. Despite this, several PFP legislators and local councilors decided to join the KMT following the three-in-one election of December 2005, thereby changing the political makeup of the opposition camp.
Taiwan Solidarity Union
With the endorsement of former President Lee Teng-hui 李登輝, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) was formally established on August 12, 2001, attracting supporters from the KMT, DPP, and other political groups. Its aim is to "stabilize the political situation, promote the economy, consolidate democracy, and strengthen Taiwan."
The TSU Party Congress 全國黨員代表大會 serves as the highest authority of the party. Every three years, the party chairperson appoints one-third of the 21 members of the Central Executive Committee 中央執行委員會, with the remaining two-thirds being elected democratically. In January 2005, Su Chin-chiang 蘇進強 officially took over the party chair with the approval of the Central Executive Committee.
Non-Partisan Solidarity Union
The Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (NPSU) was founded on June 15, 2004, with the aim of offering citizens a "middle way" instead of the pan-green and pan-blue platforms. In its party charter, the NPSU vows to act for all people, with a focus on educational, social, and economic issues. This party is currently led by Chang Po-ya 張博雅, a former interior minister.
New Party
A group of dissatisfied KMT members left the party in August 1993 to establish the New Party (NP). The party is headed by its National Council 全國委員會. On June 9, 2005, the NP adopted a vote-by-mail system to elect its chairperson, with Yok Mu-ming 郁慕明 being re-elected by gaining 98.5 percent of the vote.
Elections
Taiwan has a long history of elections. Even during the period of martial law, elections for county magistrates, municipality mayors, provincial assembly members, as well as county and city councilors, were held regularly.
Democratic reforms in Taiwan have made significant progress over the last two decades. Under the leadership of President Chiang Ching-kuo 蔣經國, martial law was lifted in 1987. After Chiang passed away, his successor, President Lee Teng-hui, continued liberalization and democratization programs. As a result of these reforms, all senior members of the First National Assembly, Control Yuan, and Legislative Yuan, who had been elected to office in the late 1940s either in China or in Taiwan, were retired. Beginning with the National Assembly election of 1991, the Legislative Yuan election of 1992, and the first direct presidential election of 1996, the general public in Taiwan now elects the head of state and all members of national and local legislative bodies.
The following sections outline major elections in Taiwan since 1996, including accounts of the three presidential elections, the ad hoc National Assembly election and the three-in-one local elections in 2005.
Presidential Elections
1996 Presidential Election
Taiwan's first direct presidential election was held in 1996, attracting four teams of candidates. The KMT nominated incumbent President Lee Teng-hui, who picked Premier Lien Chan 連戰 as his running mate. The DPP, after a fierce primary, nominated veteran political dissident and professor Peng Ming-min 彭明敏 to run as the party's presidential candidate. Peng chose Legislator Frank Chang-ting Hsieh 謝長廷 as his running mate.
Other candidates entered the race via petition. Lin Yang-kang 林洋港 and his running mate Hau Pei-tsun 郝柏村 were both former KMT vice chairmen, but decided to run as independents with the endorsement of the New Party. The fourth team comprised Chen Li-an 陳履安 and Wang Ching-feng 王清峰. Chen was also a member of the KMT and the president of the Control Yuan, but gave up both positions when he announced his candidacy. Wang was a member of the Control Yuan and the only woman on the ballot.
On March 23, over 76 percent of eligible voters turned out to cast their ballots and re-elected Lee Teng-hui, giving him 54.0 percent of the vote. The DPP's Peng Ming-min trailed with 21.1 percent. Lin obtained 14.9 percent and Chen 10.0 percent of the vote.
2000 Presidential Election
On March 18, 2000, 82.7 percent of eligible voters went to the polls to elect a new president. Competition among the top three teams was intense. DPP candidate Chen Shui-bian and his running mate Lu Hsiu-lien 呂秀蓮 won the election, ending the KMT's 50-year hold on the presidency in Taiwan. Chen Shui-bian, at the age of 49, became the youngest president, and Vice President Lu became the highest-ranking woman in Taiwan's political history. Chen and Lu received 39.3 percent of the vote, followed by the independent James Soong and his running mate Chang Chau-hsiung 張昭雄 who claimed 36.8 percent.
KMT candidate Lien Chan and his running mate Vincent Siew 蕭萬長 finished in third place with 23.1 percent of the vote. Independents Hsu Hsin-liang 許信良 and Chu Hui-liang 朱惠良 won 0.6 percent, while the New Party's Li Ao 李敖 and running mate Fung Hu-hsiang 馮滬祥 received 0.1 percent.
2004 Presidential Election
On March 20, 2004, 80.3 percent of voters cast their ballots in Taiwan's third direct election of the nation's leaders. DPP candidate Chen Shui-bian and his running mate Lu Hsiu-lien sought re-election, facing the same challengers as four years earlier, Lien Chan of the KMT and James Soong of the PFP. This time, however, Lien and Soong ran on a joint ticket. After a heated election race, Chen and Lu were re-elected by winning 50.1 percent of the vote, compared with 49.9 percent cast for the Lien-Soong ticket.
This 2004 presidential election was significant in many ways. First, the first national referendum under the Referendum Act 公民投票法 was held concurrently (see also Referendums section below). Second, two televised debates between the presidential candidates held in February were the first in Taiwan's history. Hitherto, presidential candidates had only taken part in televised presentations of their campaign platforms. Third, campaign activities attracted record numbers of people. During previous presidential campaigns, rarely did more than 100,000 people participate in a single campaign rally. The Hand-in-Hand across Taiwan Rally organized by pan-green supporters on February 28, 2004, and the nationwide rally organized by the pan-blue opposition parties on March 13 both made history in terms of the number of participants and geographic scale, with organizers of each event claiming two million participants islandwide.
2005 Three-in-one Election
On December 3, 2005, more than 66 percent of eligible voters in Taiwan,
including two counties of Fuchien (Fujian) Province under the jurisdiction
of the government of Taiwan, went to the polls to elect county magistrates
and provincial municipality mayors; county and provincial municipality
councilors; and rural and urban township magistrates and county municipality
mayors. This was the first time that these three major local elections
were combined into one in Taiwan's history.
The KMT was the biggest winner of this three-in-one election. In the election
for county magistrates and provincial municipality mayors, the KMT captured
14 of 23 seats, followed by DPP's 6 seats, while the remaining 3 went
to the PFP, the NP, and an independent. The DPP remained successful in
southern Taiwan, while parties of the pan-blue camp were dominant in Fuchien
and other parts of Taiwan.
In the election for county and provincial municipality councilors, the
KMT garnered 409 of 901 seats, the DPP 192 seats, PFP 31 seats, TSU 11
seats, and NP 2 seats, with the remaining 256 seats going to independents.
In the elections for rural and urban township magistrates and county municipality
mayors, the KMT obtained 173 of 319 seats, the DPP 35 seats, PFP 3 seats,
NPSU 1 seat, and independents the remaining 107 seats.
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2005 Ad Hoc National Assembly Election
In accordance with a constitutional amendment passed on April 24, 2000, the National Assembly was restructured to consist of 300 members elected by proportional representation. It was to convene only to vote on proposals by the Legislative Yuan to amend the Constitution, alter the definition of national territory, or impeach the president and vice president.
On May 14, 2005, an election was held to select National Assembly members to vote on constitutional amendments proposed by the Legislative Yuan in August 2004. This election marked the first instance in Taiwan's history that citizens went to the polls to vote for parties and groups rather than individual candidates. Of the 12 participating political parties and groups, 5 endorsed the package of constitutional amendments and the remaining 7 opposed it. The ruling DPP was the biggest winner capturing 127 seats, or 42.5 percent of the votes. The KMT came in a close second with 117 seats (38.9 percent), followed by the TSU and PFP with 21 seats (7.1 percent) and 18 seats (6.1 percent), respectively. A total of 83.1 percent of votes went to proponents of constitutional changes, compared to 16.9 percent gained by opponents. Voter turnout only reached 23.4 percent, a record low and steep decline from the 76.2 percent for the previous National Assembly election in 1996.
Starting from June 2005 when the latest constitutional revisions took effect, the National Assembly ceased to exist, and its power to ratify constitutional amendments and territorial changes is now in the hands of the public through referendums.
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On December 11, 2004, the 225 members of the sixth Legislative Yuan were elected. Although the ruling DPP remained the biggest party in the legislature, the opposition alliance of the KMT, PFP, and NP secured 114 seats, while the DPP and its allied party, the TSU, captured 101 seats. Six of the remaining seats went to the NPSU and four to independents. Voter turnout was 59.2 percent, the lowest since the Legislative Yuan was reformed in 1992 to open all seats to popular election.
2002 Elections for Taipei and Kaohsiung Mayors and City Council Members
On December 7, 2002, Taiwan completed the elections for the mayors and city councilors of Taipei and Kaohsiung. (See Chapter 4: Government for further details of these two special municipalities.)
In the mayoral election in Taipei, KMT incumbent Ma Ying-jeou retained his post with 64.1 percent of the vote, defeating DPP candidate Lee Ying-yuan 李應元 who gained 35.9 percent. Voter turnout was 70.6 percent.
In Kaohsiung, DPP incumbent mayor Frank Chang-ting Hsieh was re-elected with 50.0 percent of the vote, while the KMT's Huang Jun-ying 黃俊英 garnered 46.8 percent. The rest of the vote was split between three other candidates, Chang Po-ya, Shih Ming-teh 施明德, and Huang Tian-sheng 黃天生. Voter turnout was 71.4 percent.
As for the election of the 52-seat Taipei City Council, the KMT remained the largest party with 20 seats, followed by the DPP with 17 seats, PFP with 8 seats, NP with 5 seats, and independent candidates with 2 seats. In the election for the 44-seat Kaohsiung City Council, the DPP replaced the KMT as the largest party by taking 14 seats, followed by the KMT with 12 seats, PFP with 7 seats, TSU with 2 seats, and independent candidates with 9 seats.
Recalls
A recall attempt was made in September 2003 in Linnei Township, Yunlin County 雲林縣林內鄉. Linnei residents were dissatisfied with their township magistrate's decision to build an incinerator. In the end, however, the recall failed because only 36.9 percent of those eligible actually voted. The Public Officials Election and Recall Act requires that at least 50 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote in order to recall an elected official or representative.
Referendums
According to the Constitution, Taiwan's citizens have the rights of election, recall, initiative, and referendum. The Constitution also stipulates, however, that the exercise of initiative and referendum rights shall be prescribed by law. In November 2003, the passage of the Referendum Act finally established a legal basis for the people to vote on issues of national or local importance, moving Taiwan further toward full popular sovereignty and the direct exercise of civil rights through referendums.
The Referendum Act prohibits the executive branch from initiating a referendum, reserving that power for the Legislature or citizens through a petition drive. The act stipulates that the president has limited power to call a referendum, known as defensive referendum, if a foreign threat endangers national sovereignty. The act also calls for the formation of a referendum supervisory committee, which is charged with examining and approving referendum proposals as well as establishing rules for carrying out such referendums. A referendum must take place within six months of an announcement by the Central Election Commission and can be held on the same day as a national election. Issues that can be put to a nationwide referendum include laws already passed by the Legislature, new legislative proposals, major national policies, and constitutional amendments. Issues involving budgets, taxation, investment, wages, and personnel matters are barred from the referendum agenda.
On March 20, 2004, Taiwan's first-ever national referendum was held concurrently with the presidential election. Eligible citizens were asked whether Taiwan should acquire more advanced anti-missile weapons to strengthen the nation's defensive capabilities. A total of 87.4 percent of votes answered "yes," and 7.8 percent voted "no." The second question asked whether Taiwan should seek talks with China on the establishment of a "peace and stability" framework for cross-strait interaction. This was supported by 84.9 percent of voters and opposed by 7.3 percent. As less than the required 50-percent quorum of voters marked ballots on either question, however, the referendum was thus rendered void. Regardless of the referendum result, promoting the exercise of the people's right to referendum attests to the government's efforts in further deepening Taiwan's democracy.
| Related Websites | |
 Central
Election Commission： |
http://www.cec.gov.tw |
| Democratic
Progressive Party： |
http://www.dpp.org.tw |
| Kuomintang： |
http://www.kmt.org.tw |
| People
First Party： |
http://www.pfp.org.tw |
| Taiwan
Solidarity Union： |
http://www.tsu.org.tw |
| Non-Partisan
Solidarity Union： |
http://www.npsu.org.tw |
| New
Party： |
http://www.np.org.tw |
| Election
Study Center： |
http://esc.nccu.edu.tw |
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