Taiwan’s Opposition DPP Recovers Ground

The gains made by the pro-independence opposition Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan’s local elections at the weekend were an eye-opener for President Ma Ying-jeou’s governing Kuomintang. Its policy of pursuing closer ties with Beijing were an issue with voters. They worry that it will make the island too dependent on China and that opening up to cross-Straits investment and trade risks local job losses, especially in small businesses. The KMT’s handling of Typhoon Morakot also harmed its vote.

Ma himself will face voters in the 2012 presidential election. The weekend’s results boost the DPP’s leader, Tsai Ing-wen, as an increasingly likely candidate to run against him and confirm her party has put its heavy defeats in the 2007 legislative and 2008 presidential elections under disgraced Chen Shui-ban behind it..

Taiwan Swaps Out Prime Ministers To Bolster KMT’s Popularity

Liu Chao-shiuan’s resignation as Taiwan’s prime minister, and the toppling of several minister that is likely to follow, was hardly unexpected and it won’t change much in the sense that it is President Ma Ying-jeou who holds the reins of power. But Liu is stepping down to take political responsibility for the government’s slow response to the deadly Typhoon Morakot last month which left more than 600 dead. He will be replaced by the ruling KMT’s secretary-general and former mayor of Kaohsiung, Wu Den-yih. The change looks mostly intended to reverse the KMT’s flagging popularity ahead of December’s local elections.