TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A poll conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) showed that support for Taiwan’s ruling DPP party has declined 4.4% from the previous month.
Polling experts attribute declining public support to the DPP’s inability to pass legislation since taking office. Pan-green legislators continue to lack the votes to overcome a KMT and TPP alliance, which led to legislative gridlock.
TPOF Chair You Ying-lung (游盈隆) said that while DPP support has declined over the past month, support for the KMT has increased by 2.1% while support for the TPP has rebounded by 0.6%, according to polling data released on Monday (Oct. 21).
Poll results showed DPP support at 31.1%, KMT at 25.3%, TPP at 12.6%, New Power Party at 2.3%, and other parties at 1.4%. Meanwhile, 26.6% of respondents said they do not support any particular political party.
You said the KMT-TPP alliance commands a 6.8% lead over the DPP. And even if the DPP allies with the New Power Party, it still lags the KMT-TPP alliance by 4.5%. The lack of parliamentary votes makes it difficult for the Cabinet to pass its legislative agenda.
Polls show DPP support peaked shortly after winning the 2024 presidential election, reaching 37% in June. At the time, the DPP enjoyed a 20% lead in polls over the KMT.
TPOF speculated that DPP support has waned due to several factors, such as the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the death penalty, which potentially offended traditional DPP supporters. Supporters may have also been offended by President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) public comments referring to the “Republic of China” rather than “Taiwan.”
Since losing the 2024 presidential election, KMT support has fluctuated, reaching a low of 17.8%. Since August, support has stabilized at 23% for two consecutive months, indicating upward momentum and a record high for the year.
Following the election, TPP saw its support plummet from 22.5% in January to the current 12.6%. The decline is largely due to the detainment and prosecution of TPP Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) in September.
Polling data, however, shows that TPP support still remains strong, as many supporters did not scatter or defect to other parties. The outlook for the TPP will largely be dependent upon the outcome of Ko’s legal case.
