VZCZCXRO2347
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHIN #4006/01 3340921
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300921Z NOV 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3251
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6017
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0589
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1557
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5529
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 9772
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7243

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004006 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AIT/W, EAP/TC, INR/EAP, EAP/PD 
 
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW
SUBJECT: Southern Students Want Change in Local Administration 
 
REF: 2005 TAIPEI 3856 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) AIT/K representatives recently discussed the upcoming 
Kaoshiung mayoral election with 25 third-year university students of 
voting age at a local university.  Those eligible to vote in the 
Kaohsiung election are highly motivated to vote, although those who 
would have to return to Taipei to vote were less inclined to do so. 
The majority of the students said President Chen's recent troubles 
with corruption and the perception that the DPP has underperformed 
on the economy act as major catalysts for Taiwan's youth to vote for 
a change of party during the upcoming election.  The students 
rejected the assertion they are easily taken in by mass media. 
 
Planning to Vote Their Own Minds 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In a recent discussion with local students on voting, 
AIT/K representatives talked to students who fall in the 20 to 21 
years old age range.  Eleven of the students hail from Kaohsiung, 
making them eligible to vote in the upcoming Kaohsiung mayoral 
election on December 9, and of the 11, eight told AIT/K they plan to 
vote.  Those who told AIT/K they will vote plan to do so because 
it's their first chance to exercise their right to vote; Taiwan's 
minimum voting age is 20.  A few reported receiving guidance from 
their parents on which party and candidate to vote for, but said 
they were willing to mislead their parents in order to select their 
own preferred candidate. 
 
Voting Against the Incumbent Party 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The majority of the students reported being disappointed 
with the DPP's performance and said they plan to vote for a change 
of government.  They highlighted corruption as a trigger for their 
decision to vote against the DPP candidate and specifically 
mentioned the Kaohsiung metro, the high-speed rail project, and 
foreign labor riots (reftel) as particularly alarming.  When asked 
to highlight positive aspects of the DPP's reign, the students 
mentioned that the DPP had made progress toward correcting the 
resource imbalance between northern and southern Taiwan.  Others 
highlighted the construction of parks and other beautification 
improvements around Kaohsiung.  Yet another added that 
infrastructure construction in Taipei during the KMT's rule was more 
corrupt and took longer to complete than projects being managed 
during the DPP's reign.  However, some students added the DPP's 
positive actions should be viewed as electioneering, since no 
serious structural changes have occurred during its years in power. 
KMT political figures and their staffers are better educated and 
more experienced than their DPP counterparts, said another student, 
concluding that the KMT is better positioned to rule Taiwan. 
 
The Chen Factor 
--------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Several students connected their disappointment with 
President Chen and their anti-DPP votes, saying that the corruption 
surrounding the President fuels their dislike of DPP candidates. 
Lumping President Chen with DPP candidates, one student cited the 
DPP's willingness to "push China's buttons" by furthering Taiwan 
independence as a disincentive to vote for DPP candidates.  Besides, 
added another, the increasing allegations of corruption indicate 
that the DPP has paid a disproportionate amount of attention to 
increasing its power, to the detriment of Taiwan and its people. 
 
The Young and the Media 
----------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Most of the students expressed disappointment in Taiwan's 
media, saying television news is too repetitive, and tends toward 
tabloid-quality coverage rather than good reporting. The majority 
believe that they're able to discern good reporting from bad and 
deny the common belief that because of their youth, they're easily 
swayed by popular media.  One student credited the critical training 
she receives at university for her ability to decipher good news 
from bad.  She added that she prefers browsing international 
internet media to reading local papers.  Another added that Taiwan 
youth's lack of enthusiasm for politics derives from the belief that 
 
TAIPEI 00004006  002 OF 002 
 
 
they are powerless to change the status quo, not from lack of 
caring. 
 
Unofficial Poll Results 
------------------------ 
 
¶6.  (SBU) During the meeting, AIT/K took an unofficial poll of the 
students, which 16 of them completed.  Of the 16, five 
self-identified as DPP supporters, seven as KMT, one as TSU, and two 
as non-affiliated.  When asked how they might vote in the upcoming 
election, four said they'd vote for DPP candidate Chen Chu, eight 
would vote for KMT candidate Huang Chun-ying, one would vote for TSU 
candidate Lo Chih-ming, and two said they wouldn't vote for any of 
the three. 
 
Comment 
-------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The youth vote on which the DPP has relied so heavily in 
the past may not be with the party this time during the Kaohsiung 
mayoral election.  Disappointment with the DPP over corruption and 
the economy may not inspire the students to vote for the KMT because 
they support that party, but may encourage them to vote against the 
local ruling party, the DPP. 
 
THIELE 
 
YOUNG