Poll shows more support for DPP

The ruling party enjoys a far bigger chance than others to win the most seats in December’s legislative elections, according to a survey.

As many as 24.46 percent of the voters would give their ballots to the Democratic Progressive Party, according to the poll conducted by global credibility opinion poll company.

Only 14.57 percent of the respondents said they would support the opposition Kuomintang. The People First Party and the Taiwan Solidarity Union has a support rate of only 5.12 percent and 2.74 percent, respectively.

As many as 44.03 percent of the interviewed has not decided whom they would vote for in the elections.

Overall, 35 percent of the respondents said they believe the Democratic Progressive Party will become the largest party in the legislature now dominated by the opposition after the elections.

Alarmingly, nearly 40 percent of the polled said the Kuomintang must detach itself from China’s “One China” principle if it intends to win the 2008 presidential election, the poll showed.

Meanwhile, 62.2 percent of the respondents consider themselves as “Taiwanese,” while 18.6 percent said they are both “Taiwanese and Chinese.” A smaller 14.4 percent consider themselves as “Chinese.”

According to the poll, the Democratic Progressive Party is considered by 20.4 percent of the respondents as the most patriotic political party, followed by the Kuomintang’s 10.17 percent.

Only 4.63 percent thinks the Taiwan Solidarity Union as a party loving Taiwan most dearly, and 2.15 percent thumbs up for the People First Party while the independent lawmakers alliance won approval from only 0.49 percent. A meager 0.38 percent gives their votes to the New Party.

On the issue of independence, as many as 62.6 percent support the status quo, while 17.2 percent said Taiwan should go for independence, while 5.4 percent leans toward a unification with China. But 14.8 percent of the polled said they have no comment.

The survey collected 1,088 valid responses, and the results carry an error margin of 2.97 percentage points.

Separately, a Government Information Office poll showed that a majority of Taiwan residents do not think opening direct charter flight services across the Taiwan Strait is an “internal affair” as mainland Chinese officials put it.

A total of 67.2 percent of Taiwan adults said that it is unacceptable to them that officials from mainland China’s State Council’s Office of Taiwan Affairs set a premise for the start of cross-strait talks over charter flight services that such talks would be China’s “internal affair, “ according to the poll sponsored by the Government Information Office.

The telephone poll, conducted Oct. 13-14, found that 63 percent of the respondents think the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should resume official dialogue, while 19 percent disagreed.

Just over 71 percent think that Taiwan and mainland China should build a military mutual trust mechanism to help reduce cross strait tensions. Only 17 percent said nay to the notion, according to the poll.

On who is to blame for the cross strait political deadlock, 42.7 percent said that China should bear the responsibility, compared with 20 percent who said President Chen Shui-bian is to blame.

A total of 44.8 percent of the respondents said that President Chen demonstrated true sincerity in the remarks he made in his Oct. 10 National Day speech about efforts to improve cross-strait relations. Some 30 percent said Chen did not.

The poll also found that respondents aged between 20-29 are most supportive among all age groups for President Chen in this regard, followed by those in the 40-59 age group.

A total of 53.2 percent approved of the idea expressed by Chen in his National Day speech that “the Republic of China is Taiwan and Taiwan is the ROC, “ also with the greatest support by those from the youngest age group.

In this regard, the poll also found that 41 percent of the supporters of the opposition”pan-blue alliance” approved of President Chen’s advocacy, while another 41 percent of this group thought otherwise.

On the future of Taiwan, 30 percent of the respondents support Taiwan independence or the notion of “one side, one country, “ compared with 54.9 percent who said they support the status quo for Taiwan and mainland china,and only seven percent supported reunification or the “one country, two systems” formula, the poll found.

A total of 1,115 valid responses were collected in the poll of randomly selected Taiwan adults island wide. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.99 percentage points.

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