Taiwan reprimands the ruling party, emboldens a favorable opposition to China

TAIPEI (Reuters) – In local elections, Taiwan 's voters have sharply reprimanded the pro – independence ruling party, providing pro – China opposition with a new personality, which one of the key figures has announced. he will now reach out to Beijing to form new friendships.

The ruling Democratic Party (DPP) suffered a major electoral loss in Saturday's elections, losing two key mayoral races, while the opposition, the Kuomintang, took or retained control of 15 cities. and counties, leaving only six people at the PDP.

A little over a year before the presidential elections, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who has tense relations with Beijing since her election in 2016, on Saturday accepted responsibility for her party's losses and resigned from her presidency. PDP.

The elected mayor of the Kuomintang of the southern port city of Kaohsiung, former stronghold of the DPP, quickly surrendered on Saturday night to reach out to China, telling local media that he would create a working group on relations with China and remove barriers.

"We do not have walls in our hearts," said Han Kuo-yu, who previously described Taiwan's independence as being "more scary" than syphilis.

The Kuomintang has sent delegations to China since taking office in Tsai, where they were warmly welcomed. China refused to have direct contact with the Tsai administration.

China, which claims Taiwan is a rebel province, said the elections showed the people want peaceful relations with Beijing.

"The results reflected the strong will of the Taiwanese public to hope to continue to share the benefits of the peaceful development of relations in the Taiwan Strait, as well as their wish to hope to improve the economy of the country." 39, the island and the well-being of the people, "said a statement from the Taiwan Affairs Bureau of Policy Development and disseminated by the state media.

Voters also rejected a referendum that would have seen the island join the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 as Taiwan, rather than "Chinese Taipei," an initiative that would have angered Beijing.

The Taiwan Bureau of Affairs told voters that "putting the interests of Taiwanese athletes at stake is against the will of the people." "Attempts to" Taiwan's independence "are doomed to failure," he added.

The WeChat report of the Communist Party's Daily Communist Daily, People, said that Han had realized an important reality: "Taiwan will only be good if relations in the Taiwan Strait are good".

China suspects Tsai of wanting official independence, a red line for Beijing that considers Taiwan as its own.

Tsai said that she only wanted the status quo with China, but that she would defend Taiwan's security. Chinese law prohibits the use of force to prevent the secession of the island.

Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have increased with China, which has organized military exercises around the island and has delighted Taiwan's small number of diplomatic allies.

PDP general secretary Hung Yao-fu asked on Saturday whether the China factor played a role in influencing the elections. He recalled that there was a problem with the "false information".

"I think that this period has been a profound lesson, with regard to false information that spoils the judgment of many people or that does not get clear information," he told reporters.

"It's a global problem, not just Taiwan's unique problem."

SPECIAL RIGHT TO EQUALITY OF MARRIAGE

Taiwanese voters also rejected Saturday a referendum on the legalization of same-sex marriage, another blow to Tsai, who in his 2016 campaign had promised equal marriages. However, she made little progress on the issue.

In a first in Asia, the Constitutional Court of Taiwan declared last May that same-sex couples had the right to marry legally and set a two-year deadline for legalization.

But voters instead supported a referendum that defines marriage as a man and a woman.

"This is a victory for all those who stand up for the family values ​​and education of the next generation," said the coalition for the happiness of our next generation, a group opposed to same-sex marriage.

Taiwanese cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka told Reuters that a special law will be promulgated in favor of equal marriage and that the government continues to support the case.

Human rights activists described the special law on same-sex marriage as "discriminatory", saying the referendum was illegal and unconstitutional.

Dozens of equality-seeking marriages gathered Sunday in the capital, Taipei, and some cried when the result became apparent. Chi Chia-wei, a veteran of gay rights, said he remained optimistic about the fight for equality.

"Those who oppose us are fewer and fewer," he told Reuters.

The Taiwanese capital, Taipei, annually celebrates a gay pride parade that highlights the vitality of its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The celebration of a week in October, the largest in Asia, brings in more than $ 3.3 million to the economy, according to the Taipei Times.