Source: Taiwan Strait Network
Tsai Ing-wen supports Lin Zhijian’s candidacy for the promotion of Hsinchu City Mayor
Chen Mingwen, the leader of the “British Department”
The merger of Hsinchu County and City ignited a new round of “factional war” of the DPP
Taiwan Strait Network 12 News on March 24 ( Strait Guide reporter Wu Shenglin Wen/Network map) After the "four referendums" in Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party intends to take advantage of the victory and pursue the so-called "merger and upgrade of Hsinchu counties and cities" in an attempt to further encroach on the political territory of the blue camp. Kill the Kuomintang . Tsai Ing-wen also wants to use this "merger and upgrade" issue to pave the way for her favorite general and current Hsinchu mayor Lin Zhijian to continue running for the "Greater Hsinchu Mayor" next year.
It's just that Tsai Ing-wen never expected that this move would cause a backlash in the Democratic Progressive Party first, and even the "British" people publicly opposed the relevant proposal. Facing the 2022 election, a new round of "factional wars" by the DPP has begun.
Hsinchu’s upgrade caused internal strife
Factions struggled to give in to each other
On December 19, Tsai Ing-wen convened a meeting at the official residence of high-level party and government officials, mayors of relevant counties and cities, and leaders of various factions. The most important topic of the meeting was to promote Hsinchu County The merger of and Hsinchu City, and was upgraded to a "municipality directly under the central government", which is Taiwan's "7th capital".
Next year’s county and mayor elections are generally expected to be unfavorable to the DPP, especially Keelung, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu, the three DPP mayors will expire in 2022 and cannot be re-elected, and the elections in these three places are very difficult Sleepy. If the DPP loses the election next year, Tsai Ing-wen, the party chairman, must resign. In this way, she will then face the dilemma of a serious limp in power. How to plan for next year's election in advance has become a problem that Tsai Ing-wen must face.
Tsai Ing-wen holds the right to nominate the mayor of the "six capitals", and the internal polls of the green camp show that Lin Zhijian has a big victory in Hsinchu City and a small victory in Hsinchu County. The mayor of "Great Hsinchu" in 2022 may kill two birds with one stone: first, the DPP has the opportunity to win the key seat of mayor of Greater Hsinchu;
Therefore, under the instruction of Tsai Ing-wen, the head of the Democratic Progressive Party League, Ke Jianming, proposed the "Draft Amendment to the Local Institutional Law" as a supporting "amendment" for the merger and upgrading of Hsinchu County and City. Unexpectedly, a total of 12 DPP "legislators" either did not participate in the joint signature or temporarily withdrew their signatures, including 4 members from the "British Department", 6 members from the "Regional Congress", and Wang Dingyu from the "Yongyanhui" who did not belong to any Lin Shufen of faction. Chen Mingwen, Wang Meihui, Cai Yiyu, Luo Zhizheng and other four "British" people did not support the case, and were accused by green media of "carrying the "British" banner to oppose Tsai Ing-wen."
It is not surprising that the DPP is having infighting at this moment. Hsinchu The merger and upgrading of counties and cities is tantamount to opening the prelude to the green camp's 2022 election for selfishness and distribution of spoils. Since Hsinchu is going to be upgraded to the "Seventh Capital", will Keelung City, which is currently in charge of the "Correct Congress" member Ma Lin Youchang, become the "Eighth Capital"? Chiayi County, where Chen Mingwen, the leader of the "British Clan" is entrenched, also wants to merge the county and city into the "Ninth Capital". To put it bluntly, various factions of the DPP have launched fierce competition for political interests. Lin Zhijian wanted to be the mayor of the "Greater Hsinchu City", Lin Youchang also wanted to be the mayor of the "Greater Keelung City", and Chen Mingwen wanted to be the mayor of the "Greater Chiayi City".
There are many factions in the Democratic Progressive Party. Formosa, New Trend, "Editorial Association", "Welfare State Connection", "Justice Connection", "Taiwan Independence Alliance" and so on, if these early DPP factions still formed alliances based on ideas and issues, Well, the current "Bian Clan", "Xie Clan", "Chrysanthemum Clan", "You Clan", "Shanghai School", "British Clan" and so on are mostly named after the top of the party, and are more motivated by real interests , the target and field of vision are greatly restricted and degraded. Although the 2006 National Congress of the Democratic Progressive Party formally passed a proposal calling for the disbandment of the factions, the factions still exist in name only and operate underground. What does the
faction mean to the DPP politicians? Form cliques, call for private interests, and fight in regiments! Whoever has a strong faction can grab more resources, have an advantage in elections, and expand their territory. For example, the reason why " new trend series " is calledThe largest faction in the DPP is because the faction is strong in the party's highest authority, the regular meeting, the Central Evaluation Committee, and various "ministries", "legislators", county mayors, councilors, etc., accounting for almost half of the DPP. . Politicians in the green camp, especially young people, have to join various factions if they want to get better development opportunities, otherwise they will be easily marginalized. As for the future development, it depends on whether the faction he is looking at has a future. If the faction's combat power is beyond the charts, and every election can capture the city, then naturally the tide will rise and the boat will rise, and it will be popular and hot. Conversely, if the faction is not strong enough, you have to consider whether to jump ship and transfer to another faction.
For example, Zhao Tianlin, the "legislator" of the Democratic Progressive Party, has gradually faded out from the "Xie Clan" and switched to the emerging faction "Shanghai School" (i.e. "Speaking Out"). The leader of the "Shanghai School" is Lin Kunhai, the chairman of Sanli TV Station with a deep green stand. He is rich and powerful and has many followers. It is said that the "Shanghai faction" has become the second largest faction in the DPP after the "new trend faction". Lin Kunhai was in poor health, and even Tsai Ing-wen had to make a special trip to visit him. After Zhao Tianlin switched to the "Shanghai School", he also took the position of the chairman of the Kaohsiung City Party Committee, and was regarded as the best candidate for the successor of the Democratic Progressive Party Kaohsiung mayor after Chen Qimai.
Relying on the support of the largest faction
Cai Ing-wen was able to sit in the "big position"
In the DPP, without the support of factions, it is impossible to "sit big". The key to Tsai Ing-wen’s success today, especially her ability to become the party chairman after the DPP lost power in 2008, and finally ascend to the position of leader of the Taiwan region, is that she has the support of the party’s largest faction, the “New Trend”.
At that time, the actual controller of the "New Trend System" was Duan Yikang who was known as "Xiao Duan" in the world. Although Duan Yikang resigned on December 20, 2005 as the head of the "New Department", he is still regarded as the boss of the "New Department". And "Xiao Duan" is the biggest contributor behind the scenes when the DPP fell into a trough in 2008 and pushed Tsai Ing-wen to the position of party chairman. At that time, Taiwan's "Financial News" magazine published the exclusive news about Duan Yikang persuading Tsai Ing-wen to run for the party chairman --- "That night, Xiao Duan almost slept at Tsai Ing-wen's house". Influence on the road to politics. Therefore, later some media ridiculed that "Xiao Duan" was "the most important man behind Tsai Ing-wen".
After Tsai Ing-wen became the chairman of the party, in order to reciprocate, Duan Yikang, who was then a member of the Central Executive Committee and the Central Standing Committee, was listed as a "non-divided legislator", and as the actual head of the "legislative body" of the green camp, to assist Tsai Ing-wen in controlling There are many "legislators", and once they do it, they will serve two terms for 8 years. Because he is the real controller of the "new department" and Tsai Ing-wen's "man behind" and "popular man", Duan Yikang was very strong at the time. On November 27, 2018, he spent a full 20 minutes cursing in the "legislative body" The "Executive President" Lai Qingde, who is also the "New Trend Department", caused an uproar in public opinion.
After Duan Yikang, the "New Department" was replaced by Hong Qichang and Li Jinxiang, but the "New Department" is still the most important force for Tsai Ing-wen to take power.
The major factions coexist and govern
2022How to divide the spoils is tested
Of course, after Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected in 2020, the "Taiwan Generation Think Tank" led by former Chiayi County Mayor Chen Mingwen, as well as the former Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party Hong Yaofu and the former "Legislative Yuan" The "Xiaoying Friendship Association" and other loose groups led by Su Jiaquan and others formally transformed into a rigid faction, the "British faction", with the "legislature" as the main battlefield. At present, the "British Clan" includes 10 "legislators" such as Wang Meihui, Cai Yiyu, Chen Mingwen, Luo Zhizheng, Su Zhifen, Jiang Yongchang, Liu Chaohao, Wu Yuqin, Qiu Taiyuan, Yang Yao, Su Jiaquan and his nephew Su Zhenqing are also hardcore "British" people.
Su Zhenchang’s ability to withstand the pressure of all parties in the position of "Executive Premier" and stabilize the situation, "coexisting" with Tsai Ing-wen also depends on the "New Trends" and "Green Friendship Connection" formed by alliances Su Lian" support. You Xikun had the opportunity to sit on the position of "President of the Legislative Council", backed by soldiers from the "Regional National Assembly".
In general, the power structure of the DPP is characterized by "co-governance by factions". Tsai Ing-wen seems to be in power now, but it is inevitable that she will also beKidnapped by the faction. This time the "British" people opposed Tsai Ing-wen, of course, behind it is a conflict of interest. Therefore, in the face of the upcoming 2022 "nine-in-one" election , how to balance the interests of various factions will test Tsai Ing-wen's political skills.
This time Hsinchu County and City were merged and upgraded, and the "British" and "National Congress" publicly sang against it, which also shocked Tsai Ing-wen. She then personally took turns "touching her head" to clean up the battlefield. However, in order to avoid premature lameness of power, Tsai Ing-wen still issued a strong order at the regular meeting of the Democratic Progressive Party on December 22, requesting that the draft revision of the "Local Institutions Law" be submitted to the committee this Friday, showing that she has great confidence in the merger of Hsinchu counties and cities. It must be done.
