The Significance of the Government-conducted Primary

Lung-chu Chen

Recently, many legislators in Taiwan have co-sponsored a bill that would let the government conduct primaries to assist political parties to select their candidates. Chairman Huang of the Central Election Commission supported the proposal in the belief that public primaries will reduce vote-buying. Today, the Interior, Judicial and related Committees in the Legislative Yuan are holding a joint public hearing, inviting experts and scholars to testify. This is a right step toward improving Taiwan’s election culture.

One of the main defects in Taiwan’s electoral system relates to the nominating systems. For example, the DPP holds its own party primaries, but has been troubled by what is known as “figure-head party members.” KMT’s candidates are chosen either by the Assembly of party delegates or by the Central Standing Committee, resulting in large gaps between party opinion and public opinion.

If Taiwan should adopt some primary system comparable to those in the United States, it is likely to improve Taiwan’s electoral system and culture. The early electoral system in the United States was elitist in nature, leaving the task of nominating candidates in the hands of party bureaucrats. Consequently, blacks were for a long time denied effective participation in the political process. Thanks to the civil rights movements, the primary system has been established to rectify the situation.

The primary systems, as practiced in different states and localities of the United States, allow the government to conduct or supervise the primary process, and cause the transfer of the nominating power from political parties to the entire electorate. Thus, voters are enabled to participate effectively in the political process.

Hence, if Taiwan decides to let the government conduct party primaries to select parties’ candidates for office, every voter’s right will be well respected, and the gap between public opinion and party opinion can be greatly reduced.

The government-sponsored primary will help to expand effective political participation, reflect public opinion, enhance popular supervision of political parties, and maintain a thriving democracy.