On April 27, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced that its chairperson, Tsai Ing-wen, will be the 2012 DPP presidential candidate based on the party’s presidential primary poll. Tsai defeated fellow candidate Su Tseng-chang by 1.35 percent. On the same day, the Central Standing Committee (CEC) of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) nominated President Ma Ying-jeou as its candidate for the 2012 presidential election.
The United Evening News reported that after learning the results of the DPP primary, Hsu Chia-ching, spokesperson of the DPP, said what Tsai should focus on integrating the party factions and building consensus. By consolidating the DPP, Tsai will strengthen the party and give it a chance to win the presidential race.
In a video conference with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC on May 12, President Ma said if he is re-elected, he will continue his policy of negotiating with Beijing to increase mutual trust. He expressed a wish to maintain Taiwan’s economic growth and social stability by trying to minimize the gap between the rich and the poor and to reduce unemployment.
The Central News Agency reported that the CEC chairperson, Chang Po-ya, announced on April 19 that the next legislative election in 2012 will be combined with the presidential election, with the date of the double election due to be announced in mid-May. Chang said it is not completely impossible that the new date might fall on the day before the Lunar New Year (January 23, 2012).
Currently there is a two-month gap between the legislative election and the presidential election. The merger will reduce the election frequency and avoid unnecessary spending. CEC Secretary-General Deng Tian-you told the United Daily News that the legislative elections are estimated to cost more than NT$1.1 billion (US$366 million) and the presidential election is estimated to cost NT$1.2 billion (US$400 million). The merger could save NT$470 million (US$15.6 million).
According to the Central News Agency, if the combined elections are held in January 2012, there will be almost a four-month gap between the presidential election and the presidential inauguration. Some skeptics have said that this long period might cause a constitutional crisis. However, the CEC stressed that there is no need to worry because Taiwan’s democracy is in good working order.