Taiwan's Legislature Split After No Party Wins Majority of Seats
None of Taiwan's three main political parties won enough seats in Saturday's election to secure a majority in the country's legislature.
Transcript
00:00 Coverage of Saturday's election has focused on the presidency,
00:04 where the Democratic Progressive Party won an unprecedented third consecutive term.
00:09 But voters also decided on the makeup of the country's next legislature.
00:13 And there, the results are more complicated.
00:16 The DPP lost 10 seats and its majority in Taiwan's sole legislative house,
00:21 leading opposition candidates like this one making a comeback to the chamber to celebrate.
00:26 They criticize us, point fingers at us, and guide us.
00:31 But the opposition doesn't have a majority either.
00:34 No one party does.
00:36 That's because the opposition vote fractured this year,
00:39 split between the Kuomintang and its new rival, the Taiwan People's Party.
00:43 The country's legislature now has three minority blocs, with no one in control.
00:48 Lawmakers say the question now is whether the rift in the opposition can heal.
00:53 If the KMT and the Kuomintang work together, the DPP will be the minority.
00:57 I'm afraid our political situation will be more tense.
01:00 If the two parties do form an alliance,
01:02 they'd have the votes to strip the DPP of its speakership
01:05 and upset President-elect Lai Ching-de's plans for the country.
01:09 But if the presidential race is anything to go by, an alliance could be out of reach.
01:14 The KMT and TPP tried and failed to form a joint presidential ticket,
01:19 and there's no sign of a reconciliation yet.
01:22 The TPP has made its mission to disrupt Taiwan's two-party system,
01:26 becoming a viable third force in its own right, not just a junior partner.
01:31 For its part, the DPP knows it must find common ground with its opponents
01:36 to move its agenda forward,
01:38 something President-elect Lai Ching-de spoke about even as he declared victory.
01:42 In the future, I will not only create an open government,
01:47 but also engage in communication, exchange, participation and cooperation with the TPP.
01:57 The new legislative session starts February 1st.
02:00 When it opens, Taiwan will have no legislative majority
02:03 for the first time since the early 2000s.
02:06 Without a clear leader, the three blocs will have to find partners to advance legislation,
02:11 meaning opportunities ahead for skillful power brokers.
02:14 Dauphine Chen and John Ventriest for Taiwan Plus.
02:18 us.