The writing has been on the wall for KMT's chances in the election this time around for some time. As I had discussed earlier, the battle between DPP and KMT in the 2016 election is not about independence vs. status quo as it had been 8 years back when Taiwan elected Ma Ying-jeou, or 16 years ago when Taiwan elected Chen Shui-Bian. That battle had been won long ago, with this … [Read more...] about DPP Wins in Taiwan
taiwan election
The Ouster of Hung Hsiu-chu
Over the weekend, the KMT nullified Hung Hsiu-chu’s nomination and selected party chairman Eric Chu to lead the ticket in the Jan. 16 election. George Koo wrote a piece about it last week. I typically don't comment that much on populist politics since they are fleeting, shallow, and often end up, when on look back, just dust in the wind. Here are some of my takes: … [Read more...] about The Ouster of Hung Hsiu-chu
Taiwan’s Recent Local Elections
The Taiwan elections last week may have many in the West - and some perhaps on the Mainland - thinking if politics in Taiwan is yet turning another corner with its independence movement mounting a comeback? The following comment by a Taiwanese reader on guancha caught our attention. 石岡洋 作為一個贊成統一的台灣人，針對這次選舉結果，想跟觀察網的朋友做如下分享： 1. … [Read more...] about Taiwan’s Recent Local Elections
Taiwan’s Student Mob?
This is a belated post. I have been busy with a project at work the last couple of weeks... Still, I believe what I have to say is still relevant. It appears that the student protest occupying the Legislative Yuan the last 2-3 weeks is coming to an end. Depending on which media you read, the significance of the protest meant different things. Some think this is just a … [Read more...] about Taiwan’s Student Mob?
Ma Ying Jiu Wins Taiwan Election
Ma Ying Jieu has won what has been a tough and closely watched election in Taiwan. Emphasizing close relations with the mainland, Ma celebrated the victory as a victory for the people of Taiwan. The DPP, with charismatic (and "native Taiwanese") Tsai, gave stoic (and "外省人") Ma a much bigger challenge this time (characterization by my deep-green family-in-laws), losing to Ma … [Read more...] about Ma Ying Jiu Wins Taiwan Election