TAIWAN WEEKENDER ONE YEAR ISSUE 2022 Local Elections
2022 LOCAL THE AGE OF POLITICIANS
by Hiro Fu
I
t’s election season in Taiwan, and it’s quite hard to miss. Inescapable billboards of candidates with their thumbs up, politicians shaking hands in farmer’s markets, and widely distributed tissue packets: such are the constants of a Taiwanese election.
The four parties represented in the Legislative Yuan have all rallied in support of the amendment. The proposal cleared the Legislature with unanimous support, an uncommon feat, especially for a constitutional amendment.
While the local elections this year may feature a lot of the same campaign tactics, and even many of the same faces running for reelection, this election cycle also sees the rise of many young, first-time candidates.
Before the amendment is ratified, 50 percent of Taiwan’s eligible voters will have to turn out to vote in favor of the amendment. Voter turnout was 74.9 percent in the 2020 general elections; turnout was under 70 percent across Taiwan in the 2018 local elections.
While the young politicians may not possess the same practical experience as the incumbents they face, they are often charged with the righteous indignation– yet also youthful optimism– to change the face of Taiwanese politics.
The 2022 local elections are not only a stage for this generation’s young politicians to prove their worth, but an invitation for youth across the country to become politically active.
Taiwan’s nine-in-one local elections will be held on November 26. Voters across the country will be electing representatives at various levels of local governments, from neighborhood chiefs, city and county councilors, to heads of the largest municipal governments.
On the same day, voters will decide on a referendum to lower the voting age from 20 to 18. The referendum on the proposed constitutional amendment will require support to pass a 50 percent threshold, or 9.65 million votes.
For reference, President Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected in 2020 with 8.17 million votes. Without bipartisan support, the referendum may fail at the ballot. 5
At the ballot, voters are not only presented with the choice to include a younger generation in the country’s political discussion but also directly support younger candidates running for office.
The Taiwan Weekender interviewed city council candidates from the six special municipalities– the major cities in Taiwan. The candidates come from various political parties, including the major Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Kuomintang (KMT), as well as third parties on the rise: Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), New Power Party (NPP), and Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP).
The profiles of the candidates not only catalog their budding political careers but trends seen in this election cycle. The following are some recurring themes observed from the interviews.
Youth-Friendly Initiatives All the candidates interviewed were chosen to represent their parties after some form of a nominating process. For the DPP and KMT, primaries were held via telephone
