The leader of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who has become the arbiter of Taiwanese political life since the presidential and legislative elections in January, was arrested on Thursday, September 5, as part of a corruption investigation. Ko Wen-je, former mayor of Taipei who won a quarter of the votes in the presidential election, is the second major political figure to be investigated since Lai Ching-te took office as head of the island in May, giving rise to accusations of political score-settling.
Investigators suspect that Ko may have benefited, when he was head of the capital (2014-2022), from the generosity of a property developer who obtained an increase in the ratio of the square metres of building space to the surface area of a shopping centre undergoing renovation, the value of which has increased considerably.
After an initial career as a transplant surgeon, Ko Wen-je, nicknamed “Professor Ko” by his supporters, became a skilled politician who liked to position himself as an outsider. During the presidential campaign, the founder of the TPP knew how to take advantage of the erosion of power of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), from which Lai Ching-te came, to speak out on very specific problems, such as rents that were too high and wages that were too low.
His arrest follows that of a figure from the DPP, the same party as the president but who had not supported the latter in the past and who may be seen as a potential competitor at the end of this term in July. Cheng Wen-tsan, who was briefly vice-premier before taking charge of a central semi-official institution for managing relations with China, the Straits Trade Foundation, is suspected of corruption in the demarcation of land plots when he was mayor of Taoyuan City, which borders the capital.
Opposition Parliament
Although Taiwan’s judiciary is supposed to be independent, political commentators and opponents of President Lai suspect that timely investigations against enemies highlight the fight against corruption and divert attention after a tense first few months in office. Some in the political class accuse Lai of contributing to the deteriorating climate with China by confronting it in a more assertive manner than his predecessor, with, in return, an increase in Chinese military exercises around the island.
Above all, Mr Lai faces an opposition parliament, which makes life difficult for him. The DPP won only 51 seats in parliament in January, compared with 52 for the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party, which favours a policy of appeasement with China. Ko Wen-je’s party won only eight seats in the 113-seat assembly, but, lacking an absolute majority for each of the two main movements in Taiwanese politics, this small party plays the role of decisive arbiter.
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