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Taiwan began counting votes Saturday afternoon in crucial presidential and parliamentary elections that could affect China’s approach to its democratic neighbor.
The national vote, the eighth since the country of 23.5 million first held free and direct presidential elections in 1996, has been overshadowed by threats from Beijing.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has refused to renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control if Taiwan rejects unification indefinitely. On the eve of voting day, the People’s Liberation Army warned that it was “always on high alert.” [to] Destroy any form of secessionist conspiracy for “Taiwan independence.” ”
Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Qingde, who the Chinese government denounces as a dangerous separatist, was the frontrunner in a close three-way race until voting was suspended 10 days ago. Taiwan’s first-past-the-post system allows candidates to win with a simple majority.
Mr. Lai views Taiwan as part of the broader Chinese state, but he disagrees with the Chinese government over which state it represents, including Hou Youxi of the Kuomintang Party and the Taiwan People’s Party, which targets floating voters. is in competition with Ko Wenji, the founder of
While many voters expressed tiredness of the ideological rhetoric and said they wanted a new government to boost the economy, the candidates cast the election as a matter of national survival in their final appeal.
“For the past eight years, we have refused to shut ourselves up in China and succumb to authoritarianism. It proves that we hold our destiny in our own hands,” Lai said. shouted at a large gathering Friday night. “That is the power to protect Taiwan.” Mr. Lai called the Kuomintang candidate “China’s preferred option” and said that if Taiwan reverses its policy of breaking away from its economic overdependence on China, it will attract foreign investors. may abandon Taiwan.
At a rival Kuomintang event (attended by 250,000 people, according to the party), Mr. Hou told his supporters: “Lai Qingde led us on the path to war, and Hou Youxi is on the path of peace!” he said. He accused the Democratic Progressive Party government of corruption and pledged to pursue dialogue with China to ease tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Ko, who is most popular with young voters, was the only one of the three to speak in detail about his policy proposals, promising tax reform and big increases in spending on health care, public housing and rent subsidies.
“We will take back this country. [from the two big parties]we will win a fair and just future,” he told a crowd of 350,000 people in front of the Presidential Palace in Taipei, where the TPP had brought together 350,000 people.
The world is focused on whether the Democratic Progressive Party can become the first party in Taiwan’s democratic history to stay in power for more than two terms, with some observers saying this scenario could heighten cross-Strait tensions. Are concerned.
“Lai Kiyonori has promised to continue his prudent China policy. [incumbent president] Tsai Ing-wen, but if the Democratic Progressive Party wins again, such an outcome may be unavoidable. [Chinese president] “Xi Jinping believes that the chances of reunification without war are running out,” said a Western diplomat in Taipei.
But the three parties are focusing most of their attention on parliamentary votes. The Democratic Progressive Party, which holds 63 of the parliament’s 113 seats, is likely to lose its slim majority, leaving a minority government and possibly leading to permanent deadlock, campaign officials said.
The results of the presidential election are expected to be known in the evening, several hours after voting closes at 4 p.m.
Outside a voting center in the Taipei suburb of Xinzhuang, a line of nearly 100 people snaked around a corner at 9 a.m. Han Weizhong, a 30-year-old nurse, said she would vote for Ko Wenji. He described the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party in the colors of the two major political parties, saying, “We must move beyond blue and green.”