Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

Reference works describe it as social-liberal and Taiwanese-nationalist and place it centre-left. It has held the presidency under Chen Shui-bian, Tsai Ing-wen and, since 2024, Lai Ching-te, who also chairs it, and it holds 51 of 113 Legislative Yuan seats. It is named in the 2026 Taiwanese local elections party contest, held on 28 November 2026.

History

The party was founded on 28 September 1986. Three DPP presidents have governed Taiwan: Chen Shui-bian (2000-2008), Tsai Ing-wen (2016-2024) and Lai Ching-te (2024 to the present), who won the 2024 presidential election with 40.1% of the vote. In the same election the party lost its legislative majority and now holds 51 of the 113 seats, so it governs without a majority in the Legislative Yuan. Lai is both president and party chairperson.

Positions

Wikipedia gives the party's ideology as social liberalism and Taiwanese nationalism, with an emphasis on human rights, Taiwanese identity and democratic values. It supports closer ties with democracies such as Japan and the United States and opposes what it calls Chinese imperialism. Its platform is described as pro-independence, but in government it maintains the status quo, holding that Taiwan is already sovereign under the name Republic of China. The Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party are its main rivals.

Summarised automatically from the linked sources. Wikipedia