Taiwan’s Gen Z voters want something new in Saturday’s election
Al Jazeera
Once political outsiders, Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party is now seen as part of the ‘establishment’ by younger voters.
Kaohsiung, Taiwan – On ‘Super Sunday’ as Taiwan’s three leading political parties converged on the southern city of Kaohsiung, 28-year-old Vivian and her nervous dog Kimmy stood together on the fringes of a rally for presidential candidate Ko Wen-je.
Ko was once a mayor of Taipei, but he and his small Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has never held national office.
That is no concern for his supporters.
“I think that although Ko is a brand-new choice, judging from his policies and the debate, you can understand his logic,” Vivian told Al Jazeera, standing in a spill-over section at the crowded rally on January 7. “It makes it easy for me to understand what he wants to do.”
Four years ago in the 2020 presidential election, Vivian, who did not want to share her full name, says she voted for the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). So did many other young people, who turned out in their droves and helped President Tsai Ing-wen win a second term in a landslide.
