Democratisation of Candidate Selection in Taiwanese Political Parties

Abstract

This research attempts to tackle two of the principle questions prominent in the literature on candidate selection; namely how to classify candidate selection methods and how to explain change in candidate selection methods adopted. In other words, this is a detailed analysis of how and why Taiwanese candidate selection procedures have been adjusted since the late 1980s. A seven-point scale has been adopted to measure the degree of democratisation in candidate selection, in which 1 equals the most open democratic nomination system, while 7 equals a nomination method dictated by the party leader. The pendulum of Taiwan's inner party democracy has swung sharply in both directions since 1989. Although the KMT and DPP have both reached their most democratic procedures for selecting legislative candidates, there have been instances of a return to authoritarian nomination methods in all major parties, and strong resistance from party leaders to delegating greater nominating power to ordinary party members or supporters. It is argued that there have been two critical forces governing the direction of change; the internal variable of factional balance of power, and the external variable of election results. Party factions and leaders have not promoted more inclusive nomination methods out of ideological motivations. Instead nomination methods have been democratized or centralized when the dominant leader or faction has viewed such changes as promoting their own interests and power. In addition, parties have altered nominations me thods either in response to poor election results or with a view to improving future election prospects.