TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's election season was jolted Thursday (Jan. 4) as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te evaded queries about his stance on the death penalty. This issue gained urgency following Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih's demand for clarity amid Taiwan's debate over capital punishment abolition.
The political arena's tension mirrors a recent tragedy at a New Taipei high school, where a middle school boy was fatally stabbed by a classmate. The victim's parents, through a public letter, vehemently opposed the abolition of the death penalty, arguing that only severe sentences can prevent such social tragedies.
Lai's ambiguous position became more evident in Taoyuan earlier that day as he sidestepped questions from reporters about Hou's challenge to clarify his views on the death penalty.
This avoidance adds to the public's confusion about his stance.
An ETtoday survey, conducted from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 with 1,557 respondents aged 20 and above, revealed significant public opinion on this matter. Approximately 73.5% oppose death penalty abolition, while 21.8% are in favor.
The survey, highlighting a belief that current laws overprotect offenders, reflects widespread dissatisfaction with Taiwan's judiciary system. With a margin of error of plus or minus 2.48%, the survey was administered via a mobile text message link to an online questionnaire, with sample weighting based on demographics provided by the Ministry of the Interior.