Taipei: Four of Taiwan's smaller political parties, the New Power Party (NPP), the Taiwan Statebuilding Party, the Taiwan Obasang Political Equality Party, and the Green Party Taiwan, announced on Tuesday their decision to unite for the upcoming 2026 local elections.
According to Focus Taiwan, at a press event, key representatives from each party-NPP Chairwoman Claire Wang, Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Sing-huan, Taiwan Obasang Political Equality Party convener Lin Shih-han, and Green Party Taiwan co-convener Joyance Wang-signed a joint declaration. This declaration emphasized shared commitments such as defending Taiwan against Chinese aggression, enhancing national defense, and strategically coordinating nominations to secure seats in local councils. Additionally, the parties pledged efforts to reduce wealth disparities, protect the environment, and expedite the energy transition.
The alliance criticized the dominant Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) for focusing excessively on the independence-unification debate, which they argued distracts from solving substantive issues. Claire Wang remarked that this collaboration marks the first time in Taiwan's political history that more than two parties have allied in such a manner, highlighting their united stance on Taiwan's sovereignty and opposition to plutocracy.
Wang Sing-huan expressed concerns over the lack of a strong opposition in Taiwan's democracy, motivating the four parties to collaborate in order to stabilize the political landscape and promote statebuilding. He further stated that the alliance aims to challenge the Taiwan People's Party, labeling it as opportunistic, and criticized the KMT as being disorderly.
Lin Shih-han described the alliance as a result of a year's worth of dialogue and relationship-building, aimed at initiating a new era in Taiwanese politics and restoring public trust in the government. Joyance Wang called on the public to support the alliance and help transform the political culture from the grassroots level.
In response to media inquiries, Claire Wang noted that the parties had agreed to prioritize the re-election of incumbents and ensure fair coordination when multiple candidates are viable within the same constituency. She expressed hope that the alliance could field mayoral and magistrate candidates to provide voters with alternative options and break the existing political stalemate in Taiwan.