From The Taipei Times:
Saturday’s legislative elections, in which the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won less than one-fourth of the seats, were a disaster for the party and its worst result in legislative elections since Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) became president in 1988.
Saturday’s results raise two important questions. First, why did the DPP do so badly? Second, how will the legislative elections result affect the presidential election of March 22?
There are at least three answers to the first question. The turnout of less than 57 percent — the lowest for legislative elections since 1972 — indicates widespread alienation among Taiwan’s voters. The numbers attending campaign rallies were also quite low. In the past, when speakers at rallies rhetorically asked: “Right or Wrong?” the audience would shout “Right!” During this campaign no one responded. In addition, several vote captains — on both sides of politics — whom this writer has known for a long time, sat out this election. [Full Text]
