KUALA LUMPUR – The ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te, 64, is Taiwan’s new president after polling 41.6% of the ballots cast.
The island’s Central Election Commission added that nearest rival Hou Yu-ih of the opposition Kuomintang polled 33.2% after the results from more than 60% of the polling stations.
Hou and Taiwan People’s Party founder Ko Wen-je also conceded defeat on television.
Lai’s win marks a third term in power for the DPP, which won the presidency in 2016 with the election of Tsai Ing-wen.
In May, Tsai will step down after completing her second consecutive term as president.
Lai, who was vice-president in Tsai’s administration, is expected to continue his predecessor’s policies and rejection of China’s claims over Taiwan. Beijing had branded Lai a threat to peace ahead of the election.
Lai’s running mate is Hsiao Bi-khim, who was previously Taiwan’s representative to the United States.
In his speech at the DPP’s campaign headquarters, Lai hailed the win as “a victory for the community of democracies”.
He also vowed to “to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threat and intimidation from China” and was determined to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Lai added that his government would use dialogue and not confrontation when dealing with Beijing.
“Through our actions, the Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence our elections. We trust that only the people of Taiwan have the right to choose their own president.
“I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We have shown the world how much we cherish our democracy. This is our unwavering commitment.”
Regional media have reported Lai’s win and the DPP’s continued governance of Taiwan as a development that is likely to inflame ongoing tensions with China.
This morning at the start of polling, China’s microblogging platform Weibo blocked the “Taiwan election” hashtag, which had become a trending topic amid Beijing’s “unification” propaganda campaign in the run up to voting.
Some 19.5 million Taiwanese were eligible to vote today, and also cast ballots to elect representatives to the country’s 113-seat legislature. – January 13, 2024