Talking Taiwan Ep 270 | Taiwan Presidential Debate 2024: Political Analyst Courtney Donovan Smith's Insights on the Upcoming Election
On December 30th there was a debate held between Taiwan’s three presidential candidates Lai Ching-te (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominee Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), the Kuomintang (KMT) nominee and Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) nominee. The three candidates started with eight minutes each to present their candidacy, that was followed by a media question answer session, and then in the second half each candidate had a chance to question each other. I sat down and spoke with political commentator Courtney Donovan Smith who shared his thoughts and observations about the debate.
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Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:
· How candidates were doing at the polls at the time of this interview was recorded (December 30, 2023)
· How undecided voters could influence the outcome of the presidential election
· How Courtney calculates the Taiwan News Poll of Polls
· How the presidential candidates performed in the first policy forum in comparison to the presidential debate
· The 60-70% of what was covered during the debate was related to China
· The second issue covered during the debate was properties owned by the three candidates
· Little time was spent on domestic issues like Taiwan’s low birth rate, and energy
· Each candidate’s position on China and how they would handle relations with China
· Hou You-yi, Ko Wen-je and Lai Ching-te’s take on the 1992 Consensus
· How from China’s point of view, the 1992 Consenus includes acceptance of the One China principle
· How Hou You-yi wants to bring back the cross strait services pact
· Courtney’s opinion of the cross strait services pact
· How Ko Wen-je wants to pass the cross strait oversight bill
· During the debate Ko Wen-je claimed that the Sunflower Movement was a protest against black box political dealings and not a protest of the services trade pact, when it in fact was a protest about both black box political dealings and the services trade pact
· Each of the presidential candidate’s position on national defense spending
· Each of the presidential candidate’s position on extending or shortening military service
· The candidate’s policies on housing, death penalty and energy and nuclear power plants in Taiwan
· How Taiwan’s energy reserves are a matter of national security
· If younger voters care more about domestic issues or the China issue
· Courtney’s thoughts on watching Taiwan Plus’ broadcast of the debate with simultaneous English translation
· How Hou You-yi spoke some Taiwanese during the policy forum, debate
· The Kuomintang’s strategy behind picking Jaw--- as the vice presidential candidate
· How the KMT put Han Kuo-yu in the number one slot on their party list, which indicated that he is probably their candidate for the legislative speaker
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