{"id":8615,"date":"2016-01-30T15:54:33","date_gmt":"2016-01-30T07:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=8615"},"modified":"2016-01-31T02:08:00","modified_gmt":"2016-01-30T18:08:00","slug":"the-force-awakened-rise-of-small-parties-in-taiwans-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2016\/01\/the-force-awakened-rise-of-small-parties-in-taiwans-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"The Force Awakened: Rise of Small Parties in Taiwan’s Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the barricades to the ballots, 2016’s legislative yuan polls became a battlefield for post-sunflower small parties who hoped to make inroads in Taiwan’s politics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By \u00a0Thomas Chan, Angel Liu, Frances Sit<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taiwan\u2019s political landscape has long been dominated by two main camps, the pan-blues led by the Kuomintang (KMT) and the pan-greens, led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). <\/span><\/p>\n

The so-called Sunflower Movement of 2014 has changed that picture. Not only did the student-led protests against a controversial trade pact with China highlight a desire for change in Taiwan politics, it also got more people involved in working for the change they wanted. In the post-sunflower era, young activists and civil society advocates have formed new parties, bringing fresh faces to the political scene. <\/span><\/p>\n

These small parties first gained public attention in 2014\u2019s nine-in-one elections – which elected local officials such as municipal mayors and councillors. They hope to bring attention to unresolved social issues and chart a third path in Taiwan politics. <\/span><\/p>\n

After eight years in power, public dissatisfaction with the KMT grew due to its failure to turn the lackluster economy around and its stance on cross-strait relations. But not all Taiwanese were ready to fully trust the DPP because of its cosy relationship with corporations and the track record of disgraced ex-president Chen Shiu bian. Into this mix, the emergence of small parties offered an alternative choice for voters looking for a \u201cthird force\u201d to bring change to Taiwan. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first nationwide vote since the nine-in-one elections, 2016\u2019s Taiwan presidential and Legislative Yuan polls were seen as a litmus test on whether the Sunflower social movement has had a transformative effect on Taiwan\u2019s political landscape. It was also a test on whether the newcomers could win public approval and chip away at the dominance of the two major parties.<\/span><\/p>\n