Opposition wins Taiwan elections

Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan’s main opposition party will become the island’s first female president in a landslide victory over the ruling Kuomintang, as voters turned their backs on closer China ties.

KMT candidate Eric Chu conceded defeat in a disastrous rout for the party, addressing tearful crowds at the party’s headquarters in Taipei.

Live television figures from polling stations showed Tsai of the Democratic Progressive Party had secured a historic landslide victory, with around 60 per cent against Chu’s 30 per cent.

That would be the biggest ever win for any president in Taiwan — the previous record was 58.45 per cent for current KMT president Ma Ying-jeou in 2008.

“I’m sorry... We’ve lost. The KMT has suffered an election defeat. We haven’t worked hard enough and we failed voters’ expectations,” said Chu to tearful crowds at the party’s headquarters.

Chu also said the KMT had lost its parliamentary majority, the first time it has ever lost control of the island’s legislature.

“This is an unprecedented drastic change for the KMT,” he told supporters.

Support for Tsai has surged as voters have become increasingly uneasy about a recent rapprochement with China under Ma, who must step down after a maximum two terms.

ECSTATIC CROWD
As the economy stagnates, many are frustrated that trade pacts signed with the mainland have not benefited ordinary Taiwanese.

The DPP has a much warier approach to China, although Tsai has repeatedly said she wanted to maintain the “status quo”.

“We want to congratulate the DPP’s victory. This is the Taiwan people’s mandate,” Chu said.

He bowed deeply in a sign of apology and declared his resignation as chairman of the party.

Jubilant crowds gathered at the DPP headquarters in Taipei, where Tsai was due to speak.

Vendors were selling everything from cups to key chains bearing Tsai’s image.

One small group held up a banner saying: “Taiwan is not part of China. Support Taiwan independence.”

“China has no right to claim Taiwan and we want to say that to the world,” said Angela Shi, a member of the group who returned from San Francisco to vote.

Tsai has walked a careful path on her China strategy, but the DPP is traditionally a pro-independence party and opponents say Tsai will destabilise relations.