BEIJING – President Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which supports Taiwan’s independence, suffered a major defeat in yesterday’s local elections.
Following the defeat, Tsai resigned as head of her ruling party. The DPP won only five city mayor and county chief seats reported Sputnik, quoting Taiwan’s Central News Agency report.
According to the island’s Central Election Commission, the turnout for the elections was 60%, with people having voted for 11,000 local government positions, including the top posts in 21 of Taiwan’s cities and counties.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT, or Kuomintang) won control of 13 cities and counties including key mayoral seats in Taipei, Taoyuan and Keelung, official results from the election commission show. It is also expected to win in Chiayi City where mayoral elections have been postponed to December 18 after a candidate passed away at the start of this month.
The elected candidates will take office on December 25.
Yesterday’s voting is a litmus test for the independence-minded DPP’s political course ahead of the 2024 race to elect Taiwan’s next chief administrator. Kuomintang has been described as pro-China, although it refutes the label. – Bernama, November 27, 2022
