KMT loses big in Taiwan’s local elections Amid growing discontent among voters, the governing #Kuomintang Party (#KMT) has suffered serious setbacks in the local #elections held in #Taiwan on Saturday. youtu.be/XhxcpKcvatc A record 11,130 positions were up for grabs in the polls, ranging from mayors and legislators for Taiwan’s largest municipalities and counties to chiefs of townships and villages. Announcing the results on Saturday, Taiwan’s electoral authorities said that of the 22 county and city chief seats that went to the polls, the KMT won just six, while the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) bagged 13. Three seats were picked up by independent candidates. In the mayoral race of the capital city Taipei, independent candidate Ko Wen-je claimed victory, defeating the KMT’s Sean Lien, whose father, Lien Chan, was former chairman of the party. In the six municipal races, the KMT only managed to win New Taipei City, losing Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taoyuan, which were traditionally seen as KMT strongholds, to the DPP. The six municipalities account for around 70% of Taiwan’s population, and the DPP picking up five of these gives it greater momentum heading into the 2016 leadership election. The KMT’s poor showing in the polls has prompted Taiwan chief administrator, Jiang Yi-huah, to resign, accepting full responsibility for the failure. The election results have showed that voters are not satisfied with the governments administration, Jiang said in a press conference. Taiwan’s leader Ma Ying-jeou also “apologized” for the electoral drubbing - the worst since the KMT came to power in Taiwan in 1949. The KMT has suffered a huge defeat in the elections and I must apologize to all the party members and supporters, he said, adding that he would soon propose a reform plan. Meanwhile, across the Strait, a spokesman for China’s State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office remarked on the elections, calling people in Taiwan to continue efforts for peaceful cross-Strait relations.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 04:27:17 +0000
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