* Group urges state-funded polls Apr 22, 2008
Taiwan Society vice president Winston Yu (E) proposed holding government-funded primaries for party leaders to help curb the problems of vote-buying, factional infighting and nominal party members. While DPP members have engaged in heated debate over whether to abolish the blue-excluding opinion polls, Yu said government-funded polls would not have any such problem. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* DPP reform is not just a question of youth Apr 18, 2008
There has also been gross neglect by party officials, whose impediments to party development in securing their posts included the use of nominal party members ... With the party anxious for reform, the DPP has the ability to thoroughly cleanse itself of the poison of nominal party membership. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Chai makes bid for DPP chair Apr 15, 2008
Chai also addressed the much-criticized problem of shell party members or nominal party members who are members recruited by a faction boss or politician with a view to increasing their influence in the party. Nominal members have little or no interest in the party themselves, but present a vote bank on which the politically ambitious can draw. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* The direction of Taiwanese politics Feb 15, 2008
Thus, even with nominal party unity across the government, a new form of divided government is quite plausible. In fact, more than the ups and downs of the DPP and Chen, KMT unity and disunity has been the dominant factor in Taiwanese politics for the last decade, and will remain so for some time to come. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Show and tell time for Samak Feb 1, 2008
politician Samak, PPP's nominal party leader and well-known Thaksin ally, was as expected selected prime minister on Monday. The mainstream media have portrayed the PPP's election win and its formation of a coalition government as democratic vindication against military rule and for the exiled Thaksin, who was ousted in a September 2006 military coup and is expected in the coming months to return to Thailand to face criminal corruption charges. (Asia Times Online)
* The DPP is needlessly making its life difficult May 23, 2007
It made it easier for those buying votes or nurturing large numbers of nominal party members to make the cut. They will not necessarily be able to live up to civic expectations and they are unlikely to contribute to the DPP's presidential election campaign. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
* Party primaries foil democracy May 16, 2007
The problem with nominal party members is the key reason why the DPP has strayed from the the democratic ideal. In addition to the problem with nominal members, the DPP is faced with the division between "light green" and "deep green" members, as well as members with radical and conservative views on independence. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* DPP needs to rethink its primary poll system Feb 6, 2007
Past experience shows that the biggest problem in DPP primaries is the existence of nominal party members. Their existence leads to persistent rumors of vote buying and a tendency for bad candidates to eliminate good ones. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
