2022 Elections

Will the Referendum on Lowering the Voting Age Pass?

Brian Hioe
The 2022 midterm elections have, in some ways, been characterized by the absence of any animating core issue. In past years, the national referendum has allowed for local elections to crystallize around specific issues. For preceding elections, this has ranged from legalizing gay marriage to nuclear energy, opening up Taiwan to pork imports from the US, and the name that Taiwan would compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under. This year, the only issue being voted on is that of lowering the voting age from the current twenty years old to eighteen years old...
2022 ElectionsEnglishNovember 2022Politics5 min read

Fallism and Chiang Kai-Shek Statue Removal in Taiwan as a Means of Mobilization

Lwazi Bululu
Midterm elections are around the corner and there has been a plethora of ballot box issues to choose from that will prove decisive in key races: from Indigenous issues, incumbents’ COVID response, alleged corruption, and so on. But one issue that is not going to feature at all will be that of transformative justice and the unresolved issue of the biggest symbol of authoritarianism: the bronze statue of Chiang Kai-Shek at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial. Which begs the question of the purpose of political iconoclasm, or image breaking, as a form of performative democracy...
2022 ElectionsEnglishNovember 2022PoliticsSelf-DeterminationSocial MovementsTheory and History8 min read

Hsinchu Mayoral Debate Sees Ann Kao Come Under Fire For Scandals

Brian Hioe
The Hsinchu mayoral policy presentation took place on November 21st. The following article will focus on the three primary candidates, DPP candidate and former deputy mayor Shen Hui-hung, legislator Ann Kao of the TPP, and Hsinchu city councilor Lin Ken-jeng of the KMT. The debate took the form of thirty-minute speeches by each of the candidates, though candidates did use the opportunity to criticize each other...
2022 ElectionsAugust 2022EnglishPolitics5 min read

Taichung Mayoral Debate Centers Air Pollution, Past Campaign Promises

Brian Hioe
The Taichung mayoral debate took place on November 15th. This report will focus on the two primary candidates, incumbent Lu Shiow-yen of the KMT and challenger Tsai Chi-chang of the DPP. As with many of the other debates that have been held in the course of the election, there were three rounds. The first round consisted of opening statements, the second round consisted of questions from a panel of experts, and the third round consisted of closing statements...
2022 ElectionsEnglishNovember 2022Politics5 min read

Keelung Mayoral Debate Focuses on Different Visions for Development

Brian Hioe
The Keelung mayoral policy presentation took place on November 17th. Though there were five candidates, this article will focus on Hsieh Kuo-liang, the KMT candidate, and Tsai Shih-ying, the DPP candidate, as the main viable candidates. For the policy presentation, each candidate was allocated fifteen minutes to state their platform, with no round for cross-examinations or questions from experts due to the number of candidates...
2022 ElectionsAugust 2022EnglishPolitics5 min read

Mayoral Debate Illustrates How the KMT Continues Efforts to Make Inroads Into Kaohsiung

Brian Hioe
The Kaohsiung mayoral debate took place on November 12th. Though there were four candidates, this article will focus on the two main candidates, former legislator Ko Chih-en of the KMT and incumbent Chen Chi-mai of the DPP. The debate had three rounds, consisting of a first round of opening statements, a second round of questions from experts, and a third round consisting of closing statements...
2022 ElectionsAugust 2022EnglishPolitics5 min read