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TAIPEI, Taiwan – The Taiwanese president resigned from her party at the head of her party on Saturday night, after being struck by magnificent defeats in local elections against the opposition Kuomintang, which favors closer relations with China.
The political landscape of the island nation was turned upside down by voters who sharply reprimanded the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, President Tsai Ing-wen, for the election of more than 11,000 seats, ranging from mayors to wardens. The results gave the Kuomintang a new life, and a potentially powerful opponent for Ms. Tsai in the presidential election at 14 months.
Shortly after, it became apparent that the D.P.P. Ms. Tsai resigned from her position as party leader at a press conference, citing the possibility of being challenged with the appointment of her party in the January 2020 presidential election.
"As president of this party, I take full responsibility for the outcome of local elections today," she said at a conference. press hastily assembled at DPP address Headquarter. "People believe in democratic values - the democracy of today taught us a lesson."
The Kuomintang mayoral candidates won the three largest cities in Taiwan: New Taipei City, Taichung and Kaohsiung. The Kaohsiung competition was particularly scathing for the DPP, who has been in the mayor's office for 20 years and who viewed the southern city as a political stronghold.
Kaohsiung's elected mayor, Han Kuo-yu, appeared as the narrative of the election, beating his president. Chen Chi-Mai, his opponent, who was to win easily.
"Every Taiwanese, every Chinese in the world, can see the change in Kaohsiung," Han said in his victory speech at a massive rally. Before the elections, he gained celebrity status for his populist and sometimes politically incorrect style. In the last few weeks of his campaign, he has taken this popularity on the road, beating Kuomintang candidates across the country, which may have contributed to the decision of several tight races.
Taipei's mayor, Ko Wen-je, was only a slight lead over his Kuomintang opponent, Ting Shou-chung, one of Taiwan's most popular politicians last Saturday, when the votes still not counted. If Mr. Ting continues to win, the Kuomintang will occupy the mayor's office in the four largest cities of Taiwan.
The mayors of Taiwan look a lot like the governors of the United States. The mayors of Kuomintang are proposing new dialogue partners for Beijing, which refuses to engage with Ms. Tsai and could use them to further isolate and strengthen China's participation in Taiwan politics.
The Chinese Communist Party seeks to annex Taiwan, which it has never decided, and refuses to speak to Ms. Tsai unless she accepts the position of her predecessor of the Kuomintang, Ma Ying-jeou, according to which Taiwan and China are part of the same party. country, with potentially different interpretations of what this country is on either side of the strait.
China has been doing its best to put pressure on Ms. Tsai since taking office in 2016. In the hope of seeing her become Taiwan's first president, Beijing hired diplomatic allies, stepped up military maneuvers near borders and puts pressure on businesses. to list autonomous democracy as part of China on their websites.
In recent weeks, Taiwanese officials, including Ms. Tsai herself, have accused China of trying to influence Taiwan's elections through false online information designed to undermine confidence in DPP China rejected the accusations. The Taiwan Ministry of Justice is also investigating 33 cases of alleged illegal financing of candidates by China, but did not reveal who was being investigated. Taiwanese voters file all their paper ballots, which are counted by hand and can not be pirated.
Taiwanese voters have also focused on issues other than China, including stagnant wage growth, severe air pollution in the south of the island, and other national considerations.
Among the 10 referendum issues, LGBT rights suffered a major setback, with voters overwhelmingly opposing same-sex marriage and supporting the removal of LGBT content from textbooks, which is seen as a major contributor to support. important of Taiwanese youth to these rights. .
These results increase the likelihood of Taiwan adopting the status of a separate civil union for same-sex couples rather than offering them the same legal status as heterosexual married couples.
Lin Mei-chuan, a Kuomintang volunteer, said at an organized TV party in Wenshan District in Taipei that she disapproved of the Tsai government's management of the economy, as well as cross-border links.
"People want a change," said Ms. Lin, "It's time someone else manages things."
