China Democracy Party 中國民主黨 | |
|---|---|
| Newspaper | Free China Journal |
| Ideology | Liberalism Liberal democracy Anti-Chiangism |
| Political position | Centre |
The China Democracy Party was a failed political organization of the Republic of China from 4 May to 4 September 1960 in an attempt to establish it as an opposition party.
In 1949, Lei Chen, Hu Shih, Chi Shi-ying, Wang Shijie, and Han Lih-wu founded the Free China Journal in Shanghai. The publication was initially friendly to Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT, but comments criticizing them gradually began to appear.
On May 4, 1960, Lei Chen announced 'why we desperately need a strong opposition' (我們為什麼迫切需要一個強有力的反對黨), strongly insisting on the opposition's participation in elections to keep the ruling party in check. On May 18, non-KMT figures held an election improvement review meeting to demand the creation of a new political party and the realization of fair elections and true democracy. From this day on, the resolution organized a 'local election improvement forum' and immediately prepared to organize an opposition party. [1]
The Democracy Party received support from the CC Clique within the Kuomintang. Chi Shi-ying, a key figure in the clique and former secretary to Chen Lifu, once told Lei Chen that many CC Clique members favored the establishment of an opposition party. [2] [3]
On September 4, 1960, some members of the party were imprisoned after a military trial and sentenced to 10 years in prison.