Pan Han-sheng has become used to explaining over and over again that his Green Party Taiwan (GPT) is a "real political party, " not just an environmental protection group.
When it not being mistaken for an environmental group, the GPT is erroneously associated with the pan-green affiliates -- the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).
This situation has long been a problem for the GPT, which is seeking to establish its own identity and character, said Pan, one of the conveners of the GPT.
But recently, the party, which was founded in 1996, had an opportunity to polish its image and highlight its agenda.
Its success in hosting the second congress of Asia-Pacific Green Network in May gave it a shot in the arm and a chance to appear in the global spotlight.
The party is now pumped up and ready to take on political competition, Pan indicated.
"While the political environment in Taiwan does not favor minor political parties, the GPT has reaffirmed its goal of making more of an impact through elections and prove that it's more than just another environmental group," said Pan.
Pan, 40, will lead the way, competing in the year-end elections for Taipei City councillors, making his second bid in the Songshan-Xinyi district after a failed attempt in 1996.
The GPT's goals are inspired by the successes of green parties in various other countries, he said.
Although the GPT is yet to obtain more than 1 percent of the votes in any local or national election, Pan said, it is optimistic that one day it will be like the New Zealand Green Party, which has 9 seats in the 122-member House of Representatives, the Australia Greens, which has five seats in the 76-member Senate, or the Luxembourg Greens, which most recently won 15 percent of the vote.
Pan believes that the party will be able to ride the rising wave of environmental awareness and take advantage of the growth of Taiwan's civil society, leaving behind the bitter taste of the 1999-2005 period, when it was practically inactive due to a lack of funding.
In Taiwan, candidates in local council and legislative elections are required by law to each pay a deposit of NT$200,000 (US$6,195) to the Central Election Commission (CEC). The deposit is not returned if the candidate fails to obtain 10 percent of the quotient obtained by dividing the number of votes by the size of the district.
In addition, political parties that fail to garner more than 5 percent of the vote in the most recent legislative election do not qualify for the campaign subsidy of NT$50 per ballot.
In 2008, the GPT put forward 14 candidates in the legislative election, a move that brought the party to the brink of bankruptcy because it spent millions on the deposits and its campaign and did not perform well in the polls, Pan said.
In the 2008 legislative election, the GPT gained 60,000 party votes, which means it would have been eligible to receive a subsidy of about NT$3 million -- a sum that is more than its annual budget -- if the vote threshold was scrapped, Pan said.
"However, none of the other political party are interested in amending those laws," he lamented.
The issue of having to worry about money is relatively new to Pan, who was a researcher and fund manager at a security firm before he became deeply involved in the GPT.
Like most people in this type of job, he said, he would work under high pressure for several years, then quit and go traveling and buy luxuries.
"I never had problems finding a new job, " he said.
In 2006, fresh from a vacation in Japan, he was recruited by the GPT to run for city councilor, but his bid failed.
That same year, two personal experiences -- the death of mother and the birth of his daughter -- made him rethink his priorities, he said.
"All of a sudden making money was not that important to me anymore -- I had a brand new perspective on life, " Pan said.
It was then that he made the decision to work full time for the GPT.
These days Pan can be seen at protests and public hearings related to environmental issues. He has also appeared on a television talk show advocating the abolition of the death penalty, one of the main policies of the GPT.
"Once you've chosen to take the path of politics, you have to do it the 'Taiwanese way, ' which means wearing a vest with your name on it, meeting and talking to people and shaking every hand. And you have to get as much exposure as possible, " he said.
However, convincing people to vote for the GPT is not an easy task, he said.
Most people support the party's position on the environment, human rights and social justice, but at election time they usually vote for the major political parties, Pan said.
"When the independence-unification discussions heat up, swing voters tend to shy away from the voting booths and that hurts the GPT because most of our supporters are swing voters," he said.
However, there are some glimmers of hope, he indicated.
According to a public opinion poll, he said, the party's support rate now exceeds 2 percent and if it can expand its support base from the 20-25 age group to the 35-45 group, it could win a few seats in the year-end elections and go on from there.
He is of the view that Taiwan needs a party like the GPT to bring some balance to the dialogue on major issues.
"It would be a shame if all the discussions on the independence-unification issue should take place along party lines, " he said. "Those who care about public policies and social issues should be able to speak out on behalf of the people." For the GPT, party identity, funding and election laws remain big problems, But, Pan said, the party is determined to continue on its chosen path until it can claim its place as the only genuinely green party in the country.
By Chris Wang CNA staff writer
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