Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced on the 26th (local time) her intention to step down as the chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party after confirming the party's defeat in the local elections. [Photo by AP Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] In the local elections held in Taiwan on the 26th (local time), the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which advocates for Taiwan independence, suffered a crushing defeat, and President Tsai Ing-wen resigned from her position as DPP chairperson. The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) secured a landslide victory, winning mayoral seats in northern metropolitan areas such as Taipei and New Taipei, laying the groundwork to reclaim power in the 2024 presidential election.
According to the Taiwan Election Commission, among the 21 counties and cities that elected heads excluding Chiayi City, DPP candidates won in only 5 areas. KMT candidates won in 13 areas, the Taiwan People's Party won in 1, and independents won in 2. The mayoral election for Chiayi City will be held separately on the 18th of next month due to a candidate's unforeseen circumstances.
KMT candidates won in 4 of the 6 special municipalities: Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Taichung. Additionally, in other regions, KMT candidates won in Keelung City, Hsinchu County, Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Yilan County, Hualien County, Taitung County, and Lienchiang County.
On the other hand, the ruling DPP led by President Tsai Ing-wen managed to win only in Tainan and Kaohsiung among the special municipalities, and in Chiayi County, Penghu County, and Pingtung County in other regions.
The Taiwan United Daily News reported that "the DPP suffered its worst defeat in local elections since its founding in September 1986."
The Taiwan People's Party secured the mayoral seat in Hsinchu City, and independent candidates won in Miaoli County and Kinmen County.
Since President Tsai has strongly advocated for Taiwan independence, the DPP's defeat in this local election is expected to weaken Taiwan's hardline stance toward China in the future.
Having lost the last two presidential elections, the KMT has now secured momentum to reclaim power in the 2024 presidential election. Shortly after 9 p.m., when the election results became clear, President Tsai stated, "I humbly accept the results and respect the decision of the Taiwanese people," and declared her resignation as DPP chairperson, saying, "I will take full responsibility."
However, despite the KMT's landslide victory in the 2018 local elections, they were defeated in the 2020 presidential election. The 2018 local elections showed results similar to this year's local elections. At that time, the opposition KMT won 15 out of 22 county and city seats, about two-thirds, while the DPP secured only 6.
In the Taipei mayoral election, which attracted the most attention, KMT candidate Chiang Wan-an, the great-grandson of Chiang Kai-shek, Taiwan's first president, comfortably defeated DPP candidate Chen Shih-chung, former Minister of Health and Welfare who was responsible for Taiwan's COVID-19 response. At 43 years old this year, Chiang set the record as the youngest mayor in Taipei's history.
The referendum held alongside the local elections to lower the voting age from 20 to 18 was rejected.
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