Liberal International (LI) and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), which has just concluded a joint election mission to Taiwan are pleased to have been present to support and applaud the historic election result of our member party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). That, for the first time in the country’s history, the Taiwanese people voted to elect a president from the same party for a third consecutive time is a testament to the support DPP enjoys nationally and a strong endorsement of our shared liberal values.
In this ‘year of democracy’, in which over 70 countries representing around 4 billion people will go to the polls, we are especially proud that in electing DPP’s Presidential candidate William Lai and Vice-Presidential Candidate Bi-khim Hsiao – a former LI vice president and CALD Chair – the Taiwanese people have rejected the trend towards populism regionally and globally in the context of democratic decline.
Indeed, we were especially impressed with the peaceful and orderly conduct of the electoral process, and the political maturity of the Taiwanese electorate, and the jubilant celebration of democracy. That Taiwan has been able to preserve the integrity of the electoral process, despite intensified and sophisticated attempts to undermine it, attests to the commitment and resilience of the Taiwanese people to protect their hard-won political rights.
With this result, we know that Taiwan will remain a beacon of democracy for Asia and the rest of the world.
In addition to meetings with the president and vice president-elect, we were honored to take the opportunity to meet and thank outgoing President Tsai, Ing-wen. President Tsai, a recipient of the prestigious Hans van Baalen Medal of Liberalism, has throughout her presidency personified the spirit of liberalism. Across her 8-year tenure, she achieved many accolades including seeing Taiwan become the first country in Asia to deliver equal marriage; was able to strengthen ties between Taiwan and the United States and European Union; and propelled Taiwan internationally as one of the key global actors in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic under the campaign #TaiwanCanHelp.
While the results of the parliamentary elections reveal no overall majority, we are confident that President Lai’s pledge to consult with all parties to ensure a pragmatic running of the legislature is exactly the correct approach. Liberal International and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats are proud to count DPP as a member and to have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Taiwanese liberals, in government and opposition, over many years. We look forward to deepening this bond with the Lai-Hsiao administration to ensure Taiwan receives the international recognition it so richly deserves.
