Republic of China legislative election, 2008

The elections for the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China 2008 took place on 12 January 2008. They led to a landslide victory for the opposition forces (82 of the 113 parliamentary seats ), in particular the Kuomintang, on the Democratic Progressive Party of the ruling President Chen Shui -bian.

The 6th Legislative Yuan resigned on 24 January 2008, and the 7th Legislative Yuan took on the following February 1 official business to.

Background

2005 constitutional reform was carried out, which provided for the synchronization of the elections to the Legislative Yuan ( the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of China), and the Presidential elections. The election was thus temporally slightly forward. The election was also considered a mood test for the presidential elections on March 22, 2008.

Selection mode

On August 23, 2004, a constitutional amendment was passed, which provided for significant changes in the election mode. The number of parliamentary seats was thereby reduced from 225 to 113 seats, and the legislature of three has been extended to four years. The current elections were conducted in a grave electoral system of relative majority vote ( in a single ballot) in 73 individual candidate constituencies (previously it had depending on the size of the constituency several candidates given per constituency) and proportional representation for 34 seats of in accordance with the percentage- vote share of the parties the nationwide party lists were occupied. It was a five-percent electoral threshold. When choosing the course list MPs also overseas Taiwanese were eligible to vote. It was also prescribed that had to be women from the list place deputies least half. Therefore, two voices were on the ballot to forgive ( the first vote for the constituency candidates that second vote for the party). Six other seats were reserved for the indigenous Taiwanese population, three of them for the inhabitants of the highlands and three for the lowlands.

Results

• Majority for the pan- blue coalition
• Majority for the pan-green coalition
• Majority for the Impartial Solidarity Union
• Majority of independent candidates

• Kuomintang ( KMT )
• Democratic Progressive Party (DPP )
• Qinmindang (PFP )
• Xindang (CNP )
• Impartial Solidarity Union ( NPSU )
• Independent

The pan-green coalition achieved a majority in the counties Pintung, Tainan, Chiayi and in some cases as well as in the city of Kaohsiung and Tainan. As a result, an overwhelming victory of the Kuomintang and the parties of the Pan - Blue Coalition of the Democratic Progressive Party and the parties to the Pan - Green Coalition showed. The turnout was 58 % ( first votes: 58.29 %, the second vote: 58.5 %).

• Kuomintang (中国 国民党)

• Qinmindang (亲民 党, English People First Party )

• Xindang (新 党, english New Party )

Eight candidates Qinmindang attracted to the Kuomintang list under an agreement between Qinmindang and Kuomintang as " KMT - QMD Co - Nominee " (国亲 共 推) into parliament. The two candidates elected the new party were set internally by the KMT (新 党 背书). The Kuomintang reached over the national list 20 seats, the Democratic Progressive Party 14, all other parties remained below the five-percent hurdle.

Additional referendums

In addition to the seats for the 7 legislative period two more referenda were conducted. The first was initiated by the current ruling party DPP for a law for the treatment of assets, the political parties have appropriated unfair. After DPP- information that law is to provide the legal basis for forcing the current opposition party Kuomintang to return her party assets, which they had acquired unfairly during her reign in Taiwan to the state.

「你是否同意依下列原則制定「政黨不當取得財產處理條例」，將中國國民黨黨產還給全民：國民黨及其附隨組織的財產，除黨費、政治獻金及競選補助金外，均推定為不當取得的財產，應還給人民。已處分者，應償還價額」

" Do you agree that the following principles for the " control of emission of unlawfully appropriated by political parties property " be applied to such property of the Kuomintang to be transmitted to the people? The possessions of the Kuomintang and its affiliated organizations - with the exception of financial contributions, donations of voters, and public party financing - should be regarded as acquired illegally and returned to the people. Those possessions that have already been sold, shall be reimbursed at market prices. "

A second referendum aimed by KMT information from particularly on President Chen Shui -bian, who had been indicted for embezzlement of state funds, but due to his presidency enjoys political immunity. This should be decided on a new law, on the basis of investigations would be permitted if the respective heads of state and their families, whether intentionally or due to negligence, the State inflicted great damage. The Parliament should be able to establish on the basis of the law a special committee of inquiry to investigate such a case. The people involved in the case are to be punished according to law. Assets that they have acquired illegally, should be returned to the state.

「您是否同意制定法律追究國家領導人及其部屬，因故意或重大過失之措施，造成國家嚴重損害之責任，並由立法院設立調查委員會調查，政府各部門應全力配合，不得抗拒，以維全民利益，並懲處違法失職人員，追償不當所得」

" Do you agree that a law should be enacted to check the responsibility of political leaders of the nation and their subordinates when they have inflicted serious damage by its unreasonable intentions of the nation or fails in the performance of their duties? Do you also that a commission of inquiry by the Legislative Yuan is used to investigate these matters and that the machinery of government without resistance to cooperate with them to ensure the welfare of the people? That person should be punished criminal negligence and illegal income shall be confiscated? "

Due to low voter turnout both failed referendums.