Editing Politics of Taiwan (section)

=== Political parties ===
As of July 2015, there are 277 officially registered parties in Taiwan. The aftermath of the [[2000 Taiwan presidential election|2000 Presidential election]] and the [[2001 Taiwan legislative election|2001 legislative election]] left the Taiwan fragmented among several political parties. These parties can be divided into "blue" factions ([[Pan-Blue Coalition]]) and "green" factions ([[Pan-Green Coalition]]), with the "blue" faction tending toward unification and a national identity that is linked with China and the "green" faction leaning toward a national identity based on [[Taiwan independence]] which is separate from the Chinese national identity. The complex structure of the party system in Taiwan was also influenced by the voting system which uses [[single non-transferable vote]] for legislative elections and [[First-past-the-post election system|first past the post]] for executive elections. Starting with the 2008 legislative elections, the SNTV system was discarded in favor of a mixed single member district (SMD) with proportional representation based on national party votes, similar to Japan.

The "blue" faction comes from the color of the KMT and includes the KMT, the [[People First Party (Taiwan)|People First Party]], and the [[New Party (Taiwan)|New Party]]. The "green" faction comes from the color of the [[Democratic Progressive Party]] and includes the Democratic Progressive Party, [[Social Democratic Party (Taiwan)|Social Democratic Party]], and the [[Taiwan Statebuilding Party]].

; [[Democratic Progressive Party]] {{nobold|(DPP)}}
After 1986, the KMT's hold on power was challenged by the emergence of competing political parties. Before 1986, candidates opposing the KMT ran in elections as independents or "nonpartisans." Before the 1986 island-wide elections many "nonpartisans" grouped together to create Taiwan's first opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Despite the official ban on forming new political parties, the government authorities did not prohibit the DPP from operating, and in the 1986 elections DPP and independent candidates captured more than 20% of the vote.

The Civic Organizations Law passed in 1989 allowed for the formation of new political parties, thereby legalizing the DPP, and its support and influence increased. In the 1992 Legislative Yuan elections, the DPP won 51 seats in the 161-seat body. While this was only half the number of KMT seats, it made the DPP's voice an important factor in legislative decisions. Winning the Taipei mayor's position in December 1994, significantly enhanced the DPP's image. The DPP continued its strong showing in the 1995 LY race, winning 45 of the 157 seats to the KMT's 81. The DPP for the first time succeeded in outpolling the KMT in the November 1997 local elections, gaining 12 of the 23 magistrate and mayoral seats as opposed to the KMT's 8 and winning 43% of the vote versus the KMT's 41%.

The DPP membership is made up largely of the [[Hoklo people]], the largest ethnic group in Taiwan. The DPP maintains that Taiwan is an entity separate from mainland China and supports an independent "Republic of Taiwan" as part of its platform. The recent downplaying of Taiwan independence by the DPP as a party, however, led to the formation by hard-line advocates of a new political party called the Taiwan Independence Party in December 1996.

; [[Kuomintang]] {{nobold|(KMT)}}
Until 1986, Taiwan's political system was effectively controlled by one party, the KMT, the leader of which also was the President. Many top political officials were members of the party. The party claimed over 2 million members, and its net assets were reputed to total more than NT $61.2 billion, making it the richest political party in the world.

; [[Taiwan People's Party]] {{nobold|(TPP)}}
The Taiwan People's Party was formed on August 6, 2019 by [[Ko Wen-je]], who serves as its first and current chairman. It is a center-left party that considers itself as an alternative to both the [[Democratic Progressive Party|DPP]] and the [[Kuomintang|KMT]].

; [[New Power Party]] {{nobold|(NPP)}}
The New Power Party was formed in early 2015. The party emerged from the [[Sunflower Student Movement]] in 2014, and [[advocates]] for [[universal human rights]], [[civil liberties|civil]] and [[political freedom|political]] liberties, as well as [[Taiwan independence]]/[[Taiwanese nationalism|nationalism]]. The NPP currently had 3 members in the LY.

; [[Social Democratic Party (Taiwan)|Social Democratic Party]] {{nobold|(SDP)}}
The Social Democratic Party was formed in early 2015. The party emerged from the [[Sunflower Student Movement]] in 2014, and [[advocates]] for a [[Social democracy|social-democratic]] and [[Progressivism|progressive]] party, calling for a reduction in [[income inequality]], the protection of [[labour rights]], the [[Capital punishment in Taiwan|abolition of the death penalty]] and the legalisation of [[Same-sex marriage in Taiwan|same-sex marriage]]. The SDP currently had 1 members in the Taipei City Council.

; [[Taiwan Statebuilding Party]] {{nobold|(TSP)}}
The Taiwan Statebuilding Party which advocates ''de jure'' [[Taiwan independence movement|Taiwan independence]] and the party is considered a close ally of the [[Democratic Progressive Party]]. The TSP was formed primarily because the DPP had to moderate its stance with regard to Taiwan independence, leaving a hole in the Taiwanese political spectrum. The party first came to national attention when [[Chen Po-wei]] won Taichung District 2 to secure the party’s first [[Legislative Yuan]] seat.<ref>{{cite news|last=Turton|first=Michael|title= Notes from Central Taiwan: A look at the Taiwan Statebuilding Party|url= https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2023/12/25/2003811110|work=Taipei Times|date=25 December 2023}}</ref>

; [[People First Party (Taiwan)|People First Party]] {{nobold|(PFP)}}
A new opposition party was formed in the wake of the March 2000 presidential election by the runner up, a KMT maverick candidate. The People's First Party is composed primarily of former KMT and NP members who supported former KMT Taiwan Provincial Governor [[James Soong]]'s presidential bid. The PFP currently had 17 members in the LY before the 2001 election, but increased its representation to over 40 in that election.

; [[New Party (Taiwan)|New Party]] {{nobold|(NP)}}
The New Party was formed in August 1993 by a group made up largely of second-generation [[waishengren|mainlander]] KMT members who were unhappy both with corruption in the KMT and with what they saw as the "[[Taiwanization]]" of KMT ideology and leadership. The NP emphasizes "clean government" and the original KMT focus on unification with mainland China. NP influence remains modest and seems on the wane; it won 21 of the 164 LY seats in the 1995 elections but only 11 of 225 seats in 1998. The New Party was almost annihilated in the 2001 election as its members defected to the Peoples First Party.

; [[Taiwan Solidarity Union]] {{nobold|(TSU)}}
In 2001, supporters of former President Lee founded the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU). Even though Lee did not join this party, he is named its spiritual leader and most believe he endorsed it. The TSU was formed primarily because, as it took power, the DPP had to moderate its standing as regards to Taiwan independence, leaving a hole in the Taiwanese political spectrum. In a bid to help the "green" side achieve control in the Legislative Yuan, the TSU was formed to attract the radical votes left over from DPP and the localist support for KMT. The TSU had often expressed that it wanted to be the "decisive minority".

Other parties than the parties listed above include:
* [[Taiwan Number One Party]]
* [[New Nation Association]]
* [[Democratic Alliance (Taiwan)|Democratic Alliance]]
* [[Natural Law Party]]
* [[Taiwan Independence Party]]
* [[Green Party Taiwan]]
* [[Non-Party Alliance]]
* [[Peasant Party (Taiwan)|Farmers' Party]]
* [[Chinese Liberal Democratic Party]]
* [[Labor Party (Taiwan)|Labor Party]]
* [[Third Society Party]]

Although some friction between 1949 Chinese immigrants and native Taiwanese still exists, it has abated with time, and there has been a gradual melding of the two communities. In 1972, then-Premier [[Chiang Ching-kuo]] began a concentrated effort to bring Taiwanese into more senior position in the central administration and the KMT. Upon his accession to the presidency in January 1988, [[Lee Teng-hui]], who is a native Taiwanese, continued this process. Steps by the government to redress past wrongs such as setting up a memorial to the victims of the [[February 28 Incident]] have contributed to this process.