Partido Progressista Democrático

Democratic Progressive Party

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Democratic Progressive Party

民主進步黨

Mínzhǔ Jìnbù Dǎng

DPP-Taiwan.svg

Leader Su Tseng-chang[1]

Founded September 28, 1986

Headquarters Taipei, Taiwan

Think tank New Frontier Foundation

Membership (2012) 335,643

Ideology Liberalism,

Social liberalism,

Progressivism,

Civic nationalism,

Taiwan independence

Political position Centre-left

National affiliation Pan-Green Coalition

International affiliation Liberal International

Legislative Yuan

40 / 113

Municipal Mayoralties

2 / 5

City Mayoralties and County Magistracies

4 / 17

Local Councillors

255 / 906

Township Chiefs

34 / 211

Website

dpp.org.tw

Party flag

Flag of Democratic Progressive Party.svg

Politics of the Republic of China

Political parties

Elections

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Democratic Progressive Party

Simplified Chinese 民主进步党

Traditional Chinese 民主進步黨

[show]Transcriptions

Commonly abbreviated in Chinese as

Simplified Chinese 民进党

Traditional Chinese 民進黨

[show]Transcriptions

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP; simplified Chinese: 民主进步党; traditional Chinese: 民主進步黨) is a progressive and liberal political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity, including promotion of de jure Taiwan independence. Tsai Ing-wen resigned as chair following her 2012 presidential election loss.[2] The DPP is a member of Liberal International and a founding member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats. It represented Taiwan in the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation. The DPP and its affiliated parties are widely classified as "liberal" because of their strong human rights stance and endorsement of pluralistic democracy while their Kuomintang opposition, historically take a defensive posture on such issues.

Contents [hide]

1 History

1.1 2000–2008: in minority government

1.2 Separate identity

1.3 2008–present: in opposition

2 Policies

3 Structure

3.1 List of Chairpersons

4 Election results

4.1 Presidential elections

4.2 Legislative elections

5 See also

6 References

7 External links

History[edit]

The DPP has its roots in liberal opposition to Kuomintang one-party authoritarian rule. It was initially known as the Tangwai – or "outside-the-KMT" – movement. This movement culminated in the formation of the DPP as an alternative party on September 28, 1986. The new party contested the 1986 election even though competing parties remained illegal under national law until the next year. The first members of the party drew heavily from the ranks of family members and defense lawyers of political prisoners as well as intellectuals and artists who had spent time abroad. Such individuals were strongly committed to political change that would ensure constitutional support in Taiwan for freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and association. The party did not at the outset give open support to an independent Taiwanese national identity–a move that could have invited a violent crackdown by the Taiwan's Kuomintang rulers. Its platform was pro-environment and pro-democracy. As more and more of its demands were met during the 1990s–such as the direct popular election of Taiwan's president and all representatives in its Legislative Yuan, and open discussion of Taiwan's repressive past as represented in the 2-28 Incident and its long martial law aftermath–a greater variety of views could be advocated in the more liberal political atmosphere. Party members began openly promoting a national identity for Taiwan separate from that of China. The DPP supported reform of the Constitution that would make it official that Taiwan's national government represented only the people of Taiwan and made no claims to territory in mainland China or Mongolia.

Once the DPP had representation in the Legislative Yuan (LY, Congress), the party used the legislature as a forum to challenge the government. However, it did not emerge as a formidable force until 1991, when the elderly LY members elected from the mainland provinces in 1948 retired. Fears

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