TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Senior Democratic Progressive Party members have warned Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and New Taipei City Councilor Chuo Kuan-ting (卓冠廷) against intervening in the party’s internal primaries while serving as government or party officials.
The warning came after Lin and Chuo publicly voiced support for embattled DPP Legislator Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺), who is running in the DPP’s Kaohsiung mayoral primary despite being indicted for embezzling NT$14 million (US$456,000) in legislative aide salaries. Lin Chia-lung, who leads the DPP’s Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association faction, counts both Lin Tai-hua and Chuo among his faction members.
Senior DPP members reportedly advised Lin Chia-lung to avoid publicly engaging in primaries as a sitting foreign minister, per Tai Sounds. Meanwhile, DPP Secretary-General Hsu Kuo-yong (徐國勇) is said to have instructed Chuo, who serves as a DPP spokesperson, to refrain from participating in any primary-related activities.
Lin Chia-lung’s decision to endorse Lin Tai-hua sparked mixed reactions within the party, per UDN. Some DPP members criticized him for making political statements as a government official. They warned that if other officials follow suit in supporting their factions, it could jeopardize party unity and blur the line between governance and internal politics.
Others, however, defended Lin’s actions, arguing that he was acting to preserve party cohesion. They suggested that by backing Lin Tai-hua, Lin Chia-lung could reduce the risk of her leaving the party to run as an independent if she loses the primary.
Sources within the TNCPA echoed this view, emphasizing that Lin Tai-hua’s legal case remains unresolved and that the faction should not abandon her prematurely, per Knews. They stressed that the faction would respect both the outcome of the primary and any future rulings by the courts or the DPP’s anti-corruption committee.
Political commentator Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚) said Lin Chia-lung’s support was understandable given his role as faction leader, adding that Lin’s backing could help dissuade Lin Tai-hua from launching an independent campaign, per Liberty Times.
Former Legislator Kuo Cheng-liang (郭正亮) offered a different interpretation, per ETtoday. He suggested that the TNCPA’s actions are intended to pressure President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) into granting the faction a candidate slot in either New Taipei or Taoyuan, two constituencies not holding primaries for the 2026 local elections.
Kuo also alleged that the TNCPA has been consistently disadvantaged in the DPP’s candidate arrangements, saying the faction “keeps getting the short end of the stick” in the party’s overall plan for 2026.
Meanwhile, TNCPA member and political commentator Wen Lang-tung (溫朗東) announced his withdrawal from both the faction and his Taipei City Council race, per Tai Sounds. Wen said he could not ask voters to support a faction member whose actions conflicted with his values.
Faction insiders criticized Wen’s departure, alleging that his resignation was motivated by personal issues, including speculation about avoiding compulsory military service, per Newtalk.
In response to online criticism targeting Lin Chia-lung and Chuo, Lin Tai-hua dismissed the backlash as the work of “keyboard warriors” organized by public relations firms, per Mirror Media. She claimed that her growing popularity, faction support, and reform agenda were the real reasons behind the coordinated attacks.
