History of Green Party Taiwan
Green Parties first proliferated in Europe during the 1900's, the most well known of which is the Germany Green Party. Most European country has a green party. Outside of Europe, green parties have been formed in New Zealand, Australia, North America, and Africa. Green Party Taiwan was formed on January 25, 1996.
A distinct characteristic of green parties worldwide is that they promote ecological sustainability and social justice. This makes green parties remarkably different from traditional capitalist parties and socialist parties. The second remarkable characteristic is that green parties were formed by activists of social movements, to politically represent the weak, the minority and their new visions. In a sentence, green party is a political extension of social movements. Thus, international green parties are remarkably different from those traditional capitalist or socialist parties which are in fact representing the strong while claiming to represent the whole. Although there are regional differences in the policies and programs of different country's green parties, they share more common ground than differences. Four basic principles are: ecological sustainability, grass-root democracy, social justice and world peace. Green Party Taiwan also adopted these basic principles. Following from these principles, the program of Green Party Taiwan combines the programs of social movement organizations while under the constraint of Taiwan's current social reality.
Political Waste Recycling : The first voice of the green politics in Taiwan
During the general election period of Taiwan's national assembly representatives in March 1996, some social movement activists formed Green Party Taiwan. Thirteen Green Party candidates, as political representatives of social movements, in fifty-two election districts, joined the election race. We took this chance to promote the political representative system and our green political program. The common program of our candidates are:
1. political waste recycling: the elected national assembly representative would donate 80% of their salary to the movements for social justice and ecological sustainability,
2. organize a parliamentary monitoring foundation: to promote and speed up the legislation of important laws crucial to the people's daily life,
3. promote the movement for a green constitution based on Taiwan ecological circle.
A political representative system is our version of grass-root democracy. On one hand we demand those green party members who hold office at any level of the parliament, congress, or city counsel should politically represent the social movements by adopting the program from social movements. On the other hand, we requested that they physically transfer part of their salary and political resources to social movement organizations. Some different electoral regulations apply to minority and female candidates of the election. Our objective is to have female candidates make up of 50% of our candidates. Our current policy is at least one third.
In a word, the above green political program are:
(1) to abolish the National Assembly while maintaining the Legislative Yuan and to transfer resources to social movement before the National Assembly was abolished,
(2) political feedback to social movement,
(3) Green Party Taiwan's long term goal of political, constitutional reform.
Despite the adverse atmosphere of heavy political campaigning from the three major political parties and the four presidential candidates, the thirteen Green Party nominees won over one hundred thousand votes in the National Assembly election while spending a far less amount of resources than any other party. In all election districts where Green Party Taiwan participated, our candidate won an average of 2.97% of the vote! In fact, our candidate in Yun Lin County won the election and earned the first government position for Green Party Taiwan! Although we have not yet crossed the 5% line necessary to become an official party, we have shown our independence and potential through this first election!! In order to realize grassroots democracy, social justice, and environmental protection, Green Party Taiwan will actively participate in all the elections starting now! Green Party Taiwan is not only the new tool to facilitate the social progression of Taiwan, Green Party Taiwan is also a fresh new political choice for the people in Taiwan!