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| Image: Flickr User - 中岑 范姜 |
By Shannon Tiezzi
The DPP won a landslide victory in the presidential race, and looks to secure a legislative majority as well.
Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party is the opposition no more – the DPP won the presidency in Saturday’s elections in a landslide victory that resets Taiwan’s political landscape.
DPP candidate Tsai Ing-wen handily defeated both candidate Eric Chu of the Kuomintang (KMT), the party of current President Ma Ying-jeou, and third party candidate James Soong to claim victory. According to Taiwan’s Central Election Commission, with 98 percent of the results in, Tsai and running mate Chen Chien-jen had claimed 56.2 percent of the votes, with Chu at 30.9 percent and Soong at 12.8 percent.
Tsai will be Taiwan’s first female president and only the second DPP president, following Chen Shui-bian’s 2000-2008 tenure. Unlike Chen, who managed only a plurality to eke out a victory in 2000, Tsai was elected by a convincing margin that will give her a clear mandate going forward. Ma won election in 2008 with similar numbers, claiming 58.4 percent of the vote. In her victory speech, Tsai said the election results proved the strength of Taiwan’s democracy.
Read the full story at The Diplomat