Politics & Governance / Domestic Politics / Political Parties & Movements

Analysis of the KMT's Election Defeats and Reform Dilemmas from the Theory of 'Party Change'

Analysis of the KMT's Election Defeats and Reform Dilemmas from the Theory of 'Party Change' This article utilizes the theory of **"party change"** to deeply analyze the reasons for the Kuomintang's (KMT) consecutive defeats in Taiwan's general elections since 2016 and its transformation dilemmas. By comparing the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) successful revival after its 2008 defeat through leadership change and social movements, the author points out that although the KMT has made sporadic reform attempts, it has consistently been unable to escape the constraints of its veteran party members. The article emphasizes that the KMT's core obstacle lies in the stalemate on cross-strait policy. Its adherence to the "1992 Consensus" has failed to gain the trust of mainstream public opinion on the island and has also failed to find new discourse space in the current cross-strait situation. Although the 2024 election results gave it a slight advantage in the Legislative Yuan, this superficial victory has masked its fundamental problems of organizational rigidity and conservative stances, leading the party into a precarious state of stagnation."