Taiwan elects first female president

TAIPEI: The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen has been elected Taiwan’s first female president. Tsai took a commanding lead in the election results late Saturday evening, and the candidate for the China-friendly Nationalist Party conceded a massive loss. Tsai had about 60 percent of votes while Nationalist Eric Chu had about 30 percent, with about half of votes counted. The election took place amid concerns that the island’s economy is under threat from China and broad opposition to Beijing’s demands for political unification. Tsai said she would not be provocative in relations with China. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office reacted to her statement, saying Beijing would continue to oppose any Taiwan independence activities after DPP’S win. China’s determination to protect its territory and sovereignty was “hard as a rock”, it said, in a statement released via the official Xinhua news agency. Outgoing Nationalist President Ma Ying-jeou has served eight years and is constitutionally barred from another term. The outcome of the contest for a majority in the 113-seat legislature remained uncertain, with independents and smaller parties posing a threat to both the Nationalists and the DPP. “Taiwan and China need to keep some distance,” said Willie Yao, a computer engineer voting in Taipei who said he backed Tsai. “The change of president would mean still letting Taiwanese make the decision.” Reflecting unease over a slowdown in Taiwan’s once-mighty economy, undeclared voter Hsieh Lee-fung said providing opportunities to the next generation was the most important issue. “Economic progress is related closely to our leadership, like land reform and housing prices. People aren’t making enough money to afford homes,” Hsieh said. “This is not about defeating the other party. This is about working to overcome the obstacles in Taiwan’s path,” Tsai told supporters in the rain at a final rally Friday night in front of the presidential office building in the center of the capital, Taipei. Tsai had pledged to maintain the status quo of de-facto independence for the island of 23 million, although she refused to endorse the principle that Taiwan and China are parts of a single nation to be unified eventually. Beijing has made that its baseline for continuing negotiations that have produced a series of pacts on trade, transport and exchanges. Observers say China is likely to adopt a wait-and-see approach to Tsai’s presidency, but might use diplomatic and economy pressure if she is seen as straying too far from its unification agenda. Taiwan was a Japanese colony from 1885 to 1945 and split again from China amid civil war in 1949. Chu was a late entry in the race after the party ditched its original candidate, Hung Hsiu-chu, whose abrasive style was seen as alienating voters. China has largely declined to comment on the polls, although its chief official for Taiwan affairs this month warned of potential major challenges in the relationship in the year ahead. Tsai supporters appeared confident that ties with China would weather a change in government. “As long as Tsai doesn’t provoke the other side, it’s OK,” said former newspaper distribution agent Lenex Chang, who attended Tsai’s rally. “If mainland China democratizes someday, we could consider a tie-up,” he added. -arabnews