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The DPP membership is made up largely of native Taiwanese. Its platform includes outspoken positions on some of the most sensitive issues in Taiwan politics. For example, the DPP maintains that Taiwan is an entity separate from mainland China, in contrast to the KMT position that Taiwan and the mainland, though currently divided, are both part of "one China." In sharp contrast to the tenets of both KMT and P.R.C. policy, a number of ranking DPP officials openly advocate independence for Taiwan. The recent downplaying of Taiwan independence by the DPP as a party, however, led to the formation by hard-line advocates of a new political party called the Taiwan Independence Party in December 1996.
A new opposition party was formed in the wake of the March 2000 presidential election by the runner up, a KMT maverick candidate. The People's First Party is composed primarily of former KMT and Chinese New Party (CNP) members who supported former KMT Taiwan Provincial Governor James Soong's presidential bid. The CNP failed to retain the minimum number of seats required to be represented in the LY. The PFP and KMT have formed the “Pan-Blue” Alliance to oppose the DPP government.Former President Lee Teng-hui formed the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) in 2001. The TSU advocates changing Taiwan’s official name and completely replacing the 1947 constitution. The TSU is informally allied with the DPP as part of the ruling “Pan-Green” alliance.
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