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Research Article

2016 Taiwan Election and the Rise of the New Power Party

Keum Bee Koh1 · Jaeyoun Won1

1 서강대학교 동아연구소

Published: January 2017 · Vol. 72, No. 0 · pp. 139-172

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33334/sieas.2017.36.1.139

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Abstract

On January 16th, 2016 Taiwan`s `New Power Party` successfully got into Taiwan`s National Assembly as a newly emerging third party. The rise of the New Power Party was possible due to recent changes in Taiwan politics, 1) the failure of Pro-China policy by the Nationalist Party, 2) Sunflower Movement, and 3) the human rights abuse and the sudden death of a soldier in the military. This study focuses on the case of the New Power Party as evidences of new changes in Taiwan politics - the decline of the old Nationalist party, resistance toward Pro-China Policies, as well as the rise of the new Taiwanese identity which emphasizes on freedom, democracy and human rights. KMT`s close relationship with China and the policy of neo-liberalism in the past eight years have led to dissatisfaction of many citizens, and the series of resistance and social movement have consequently entailed in opening the door for the new, third force in Taiwanese politics. It is still premature to tell whether the New Power Party will play a supporting role to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party or an oppositional force against it. As a minority party, the New Power Party does not have to worry about maintaining majority seats in the national assembly, and can be more vocal about Taiwanese independence. This case of the New Power Party is an example that activists and intellectuals in civil society join coalition to mobilize and eventually to enter the state politics.
Keywords: 시대역량태양화운동타이완2016 총선사건사 분석