TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) on Monday rejected reports that an anti-President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) coalition is forming within the party ahead of its National Party Congress.
Chuang, a member of former President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) faction, rejected reports that Tsai-aligned members resigned from party positions to gain additional votes at the party congress, per Tai Sounds. He said the claims reflected a misunderstanding of the DPP's internal procedures.
Chuang said appointing replacements to fill vacancies left by committee members follows established party rules. He dismissed suggestions that the moves were part of an effort to form an "anti-Lai coalition," calling that interpretation a stretch.
The DPP will hold its National Party Congress on Sunday to elect members of its Central Executive Committee and Central Evaluation Committee, per Knews. The newly elected Central Executive Committee will then choose the party's Central Standing Committee.
According to a DPP insider, candidates typically need about 19 delegate votes to win a seat on the 30-member Central Executive Committee. Members of that committee then need three votes from fellow committee members to secure one of the 10 seats on the Central Standing Committee.
A total of 35 candidates are competing for the 30 Central Executive Committee seats, while 13 candidates are running for the 11 Central Evaluation Committee seats.
The New Tide faction, the party's largest group and one that includes Lai, is expected to nominate 10 candidates for the Central Executive Committee. Tsai's faction has nominated six candidates, while the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association (正常國家促進會) is expected to field five.
Former Premier Su Tseng-chang's (蘇貞昌) faction will nominate three candidates, Taiwan Forward (湧言會) four, the Green Fellowship Association (綠色友誼連線) three, Democracy Living Water Connection (民主活水連線) two, and the faction aligned with DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) two.
The insider said factions generally nominate candidates based on the number of votes they expect to control, making it unlikely they would field more candidates than they could realistically elect. The source added that the additional candidates from New Tide and the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association could serve as backup candidates and are not part of the factions’ vote-allocation strategy.
Lai has reportedly urged party factions to maintain the status quo and avoid internal conflict as the DPP prepares for the 2026 local elections, per China Times. However, some members of Tsai's faction who currently hold party positions reportedly resigned to become eligible to vote as delegates at the party congress.
Former Central Executive Committee member Hung Chih-kun (洪智坤) briefly served on the committee after being elected in a move intended to bolster the voting strength of Su's faction, per China Times. He lost the seat four days later in the party congress election.
One DPP faction member said that if Chen Ting-fei’s faction aligns with Tsai's group, it could join forces with factions associated with Su, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), and others to form a coalition capable of challenging Lai's allies. Another DPP member, however, dismissed speculation that such a coalition has already formed, saying alliances remain fluid and could change before delegates cast their votes, per cti.
Party insiders currently project that nine of the 10 Central Standing Committee seats are effectively decided, with the final seat expected to determine the balance between factions aligned with and opposed to Lai. One DPP source said Lai's allies are still expected to retain control of the committee but argued that the party's greater challenge will be preparing for the 2026 local elections rather than the internal leadership vote, per UDN.
