TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is considering disciplinary action against founding member and former legislator Lin Feng-hsi (林豐喜) after he publicly backed Kuomintang (KMT) Taichung mayoral candidate Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), adding a new layer of tension to an increasingly competitive 2026 local election campaign.
The DPP’s Taichung branch has received calls for Lin’s expulsion following his decision to campaign for Chiang. Branch chair Hsu Mu-kuei said the issue is scheduled to be discussed at a meeting on Wednesday, according to local media reports.
The controversy highlights an unusual political clash: a longtime DPP figure supporting a candidate from the party’s main opposition, just weeks after Taiwan’s candidates registered for the upcoming local elections.
Why Lin Feng-hsi is facing possible expulsion
Lin, a founding member of the DPP and former legislator, recently joined Chiang’s campaign effort by becoming head of the advisory group for a frogmen support club established for Chiang’s mayoral campaign.
Both Lin and Chiang have military backgrounds as former frogmen.
Chiang said his military experience taught him discipline and a strong sense of responsibility, qualities he hopes to bring to the management of Taichung. Lin, meanwhile, said personal ties to the Chang family and Chiang’s father-in-law, Liu Shen-liang, influenced his decision to support the KMT candidate.
Lin has also criticized the DPP, arguing that the party has moved away from the ideals that guided its founding. He was among the political figures involved in establishing the DPP’s Taichung branch.
DPP figures divided over the proposed expulsion
The call to expel Lin has not received universal support within the DPP.
Former Taichung County magistrate Liao Yung-lai questioned the significance of removing Lin from the party, while DPP legislator Tsai Chi-chang noted that Lin has been largely inactive in politics for more than a decade since retiring.
Former lawmaker Shen Fu-hsiung similarly suggested that Lin’s political influence is limited and that some of his supporters may already be inclined to support Chiang.
The controversy also has an internal factional dimension. Lin is associated with the DPP’s Formosa Faction, while DPP Taichung mayoral candidate Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) is associated with the New Tide faction. Shen suggested that these longstanding factional differences help explain why Lin’s endorsement of Chiang may not be entirely unexpected.
Taichung mayoral race heats up
The dispute comes as Taichung’s mayoral contest begins taking shape ahead of Taiwan’s 2026 local elections.
Chiang, a KMT legislator and former Legislative Yuan vice president, is seeking the mayoralty for the opposition party. His campaign has increasingly emphasized his military background and plans for Taichung’s future development.
On the DPP side, Ho Hsin-chun has been building her own campaign organization. Ho recently established a coastal campaign headquarters with support from several DPP city councilors.
Her campaign has criticized incumbent Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) over development in the city’s coastal districts and issues involving the Taichung Thermal Power Plant.
That makes the Lin controversy more than a simple party-discipline dispute. It arrives at a time when competing parties are mobilizing supporters and defining their candidates ahead of a closely watched local election.
A test of party loyalty — or political freedom?
The potential expulsion raises a broader question for the DPP: How should a political party respond when one of its longtime members openly supports an opposing candidate?
For supporters seeking disciplinary action, Lin’s endorsement represents a serious breach of party loyalty because he is actively campaigning for a KMT candidate.
But critics of expulsion argue that Lin has been retired from active politics for years and that removing a longtime founding member could have limited practical impact.
For now, the DPP Taichung branch is expected to discuss the issue this week. Whether it results in formal disciplinary action remains to be seen.
With the Taichung mayoral race gaining momentum, Lin Feng-hsi’s decision has transformed an individual endorsement into a larger debate over party loyalty, political factions and the future direction of the DPP.
And as the 2026 local elections draw closer, the question is becoming harder to ignore: Will one founding member’s break with the party become a bigger political problem for the DPP in Taichung?
Leave a Reply