Editing New Party (Taiwan) (section)

== History ==
The New Party was formed on 22 August 1993 out of a split from the then-ruling [[Kuomintang]] (KMT) by members of the [[New Kuomintang Alliance]].<ref name=partyfounding>{{cite news|last1=Tai|first1=Y.C.|last2=Liu|first2=L.Y.|last3=Lin|first3=Lillian|title=New Party throws weight behind KMT in legislative election|url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201508220025.aspx|access-date=23 August 2015|agency=Central News Agency|date=22 August 2015}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Copper |first=John F. |date=1994 |title=The KMT's 14th Party Congress: Toward Unity or Disunity? |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44288489 |journal=American Journal of Chinese Studies |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=163–179 |jstor=44288489 |issn=2166-0042}}</ref> Members of the Alliance had accused KMT Chairman [[Lee Teng-hui]] of autocratic tendencies and moving the party away from [[Chinese unification]]. Co-founders of the New Party included [[Chen Kuei-miao]].<ref name=focus>{{cite news|first=Kuei-hsiang|last=Wen  |title=New Party founder dies at 81 |url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201408160009.aspx |work=[[Focus Taiwan]] |date=2014-08-16 |access-date=2014-09-04}}</ref> Originally, the party wanted to keep the name of the faction, but was prevented from doing so due to the similarity of names. The name "New Party" was seemingly inspired by the contemporary electoral success of the [[Japan New Party]].

At this time, the party favored [[Direct election|direct presidential elections]], the ideals of [[Sun Yat-sen]], voluntary service instead of military service, and "equal protection of human rights." The party also called for direct flights between Taiwan and the mainland, speaking of a "Great Chinese Common Market."<ref name=":0" />

In the mid-1990s, the New Party attracted support from the KMT old guard as well as young urban professionals. The New Party was aided by former Finance Minister [[Wang Chien-shien]] and former Environmental Protection Administration Director [[Jaw Shaw-kong]], who had charismatic and clean images.

In the [[2000 Taiwanese presidential election|2000 presidential election]], the party nominated writer and dissident [[Li Ao]], who ran a spirited but token campaign. In the election, most members of the party supported former [[Governor of Taiwan Province|provincial governor]] [[James Soong]], who ran as an independent candidate after losing the KMT nomination and subsequently being expelled from the KMT, and in fact both Li Ao and the New Party leader [[Lee Ching-hua]] encouraged people to support him.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Prelypchan |first1=Erin |date=12 March 2000 |title=Li Ao backs Soong, but Hsu hangs on |work=[[Taipei Times]] |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2000/03/12/0000027539 |url-status=live |access-date=30 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001201323/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2000/03/12/0000027539 |archive-date=1 October 2016}}</ref> In the [[2001 Taiwanese legislative election|2001 Legislative Yuan election]], the party won a single seat, [[Wu Cherng-dean]]'s, in [[Kinmen]].

In the [[2005–06 Taiwanese local elections|2005–06 municipal elections]], the New Party made significant gains, seating over a dozen members into public office. The New Party also gained four seats in the [[Mayor of Taipei|Taipei Mayor]]'s private offices.

Since the [[2008 Taiwanese legislative election|2008 Legislative Yuan elections]], the New Party has not won any seats, while the party supported most of the KMT candidates.