TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) was selected Tuesday as the new DPP legislative caucus whip, replacing longtime incumbent Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘).
Tsai had been set to challenge Ker for the position. At Ker’s invitation, the two met Monday with several caucus officials to negotiate, but neither initially agreed to withdraw, per UDN.
During the DPP caucus meeting Tuesday, however, Ker stepped aside. The party nominated Tsai by consensus, avoiding a formal ballot between the two.
Speaking after the meeting, Tsai thanked Ker for withdrawing from the race and said he would continue to seek Ker’s advice on the caucus’ daily operations, per CNews.
DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲), who was nominated as caucus secretary-general at the same meeting, said Ker had proactively offered assistance after stepping down, per FTV. Responding to speculation that the leadership contest reflected internal tensions between Ker and President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), she called such claims a “misunderstanding.”
Former DPP Legislative Caucus director Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) praised Ker’s long tenure, highlighting his leadership during periods when the DPP was twice in the legislative minority, per UDN. He said the caucus would be more unified under its newly elected leadership.
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) also commented, noting he was first elected to the legislature alongside Ker more than 30 years ago and offering his well wishes, per ETtoday.
After Lai failed to persuade Ker to step down in 2025, party leaders reportedly continued to push for leadership change, even as Ker reduced his involvement in internal caucus affairs, per Mirror Media. Ker’s insistence on maintaining the caucus’ independence was said to have strained relations with senior party figures.
Although many DPP lawmakers were not opposed to Ker — who is expected to retire after his current term — Lai’s decision to encourage Tsai to run influenced much of the caucus. Allowing lawmakers to resolve the leadership issue through internal consensus helped the party avoid the perception of direct interference from senior leadership and ultimately shaped the outcome.
