ROC presidential election, 2008
Encyclopedia
The election for the 12th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China was held in the Republic of China (ROC)
on Saturday, March 22, 2008. Kuomintang
(KMT) nominee Ma Ying-jeou
won with 58% of the vote, ending eight years of Democratic Progressive Party
rule. Along with the 2008 legislative election
, Ma's landslide victory brought the Kuomintang back to power in Taiwan.
This was the fourth direct election for the President of the Republic of China
. The two candidates were Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP) candidate Frank Hsieh
and Kuomintang
(KMT) nominee Ma Ying-jeou
. The KMT ticket was officially formed as of June 23, 2007, with Ma announcing his choice for running mate to be former premier Vincent Siew
. The DPP ticket was announced in August, 2007, with Frank Hsieh selecting former Premier Su Tseng-chang
. Unlike the 2004 presidential election, the political rhetoric of the campaigns tended to focus on economic issues
and government corruption rather than national identity
and the political status of Taiwan
, with both candidates endorsing the status quo in the short term. But much like previous elections, this election was also marked with island-wide mass rallies and much political mudslinging.
The KMT ticket received a larger percentage and more votes than any other candidate in the previous three direct presidential elections. The election occurred as incumbent President Chen Shui-bian
's popularity remained at record lows following mass rallies in September 2006
urging him to resign amid implications of corruption. Amid general economic malaise, as unemployment had risen under Chen's presidency and Taiwan's per capita GDP was surpassed by that of South Korea
, Ma won on a platform of economic revitalization and a promise to improve cross-straits relations, in contrast to Chen's confrontational style, as "a peacemaker not a troublemaker". The election occurred in the wake of the KMT's landslide victory in the 2008 legislative elections
in which the Pan-Blue Coalition
won a three-quarters majority in the Legislative Yuan
. On the same day two referenda
on joining the United Nations
, the first supported by the DPP of President Chen and the second supported by the KMT, failed due to low turnout. Prior to the vote, the KMT had encouraged its supporters to boycott the DPP referendum, and expressed its "understanding" if supporters boycotted both.
"Four Heavenly Kings
" (a less literal translation in English that perhaps gives the meaning more clearly is the "Four Heavyweights") sans incumbent President Chen Shui-bian
(who was barred from running due to term limits)—Frank Hsieh
, Su Tseng-chang
, and Yu Shyi-kun
—and incumbent vice president Annette Lu
. All three of the men had served as premier
under Chen Shui-bian and as DPP chairman during part of the Chen presidency. In addition, Hsieh has been a popular mayor of Kaohsiung
, Su has been county magistrate of Taipei County
and Pingtung County
, and Yu served as Secretary-General in the Office of the President.
On May 6, 2007, the DPP primaries took place in all 24 cities and counties in Taiwan. There were 254,963 eligible voters, with voter turnout at 56.06%. Former premier Frank Hsieh
emerged as the winner of the DPP primaries, winning 17 of 24 cities and counties with 62,849 votes, about 44% of the votes cast. Despite the fact that the primary results only account for 30% of the final outcome in determining the nominee, fellow DPP candidates Su, who got 46,994 votes; Yu, with 22,211 votes; and Lu with 8,666 votes, endorsed Hsieh before the second stage primary, based on opinion polls, was held, causing the DPP to cancel the second stage primary.
The junior partner in the pan-green coalition
, the Taiwan Solidarity Union
, neither fielded nor endorsed a candidate. TSU Chairman Shu Chin-Chiang
seemingly endorsed Ma on September 19, 2007 when he referred to Ma as "our President-to-be." At the same time, several TSU legislators stated that they would support DPP candidate Frank Hsieh
. In December, Lee Teng-hui
, considered the "spiritual leader" of the TSU, rescinded his support of Chen in 2004, and urged citizens against voting for the DPP in upcoming legislative elections. While Lee openly denounced supporting the ruling DPP party, he stopped short of endorsing any party or candidate and waited until March 20, 2008 (two days before the election) to endorse Hsieh.
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Following the KMT's defeat in 2004 and before the 2005 KMT chairman election, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou
and Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng
were both considered leading candidates for the nomination. Ma's landslide victory over Wang in the 2005 KMT chairman election immediately made him the frontrunner. His position was furthered bolstered by the KMT's victories in the 2005 3-in-1 local elections. Ma Ying-jeou began his campaign before his announcement for candidacy, taking trips Europe and Japan in 2006, nominally to obtain business deals for Taipei, but covered widely by the media for his foreign policy remarks. He met with numerous politicians in Washington, DC, including U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick
. Significantly, Ma Ying-jeou became the first head of a pan-Blue coalition party to state that declaring de jure Taiwanese independence was a legitimate choice of the Taiwanese people, though he qualified it saying that this was not a position of the KMT, after receiving much criticism from pan-Blue politicians. He also stated that Taiwan should form a common market with mainland China and establish direct transportation links
.
On February 13, 2007 Ma was indicted for misuse of official funds as Taipei Mayor and announced his candidacy as he resigned the KMT chairmanship. He was formally nominated as the KMT candidate on May 2, 2007. Wang did not run against Ma and Ma was virtually unopposed. Final approval of the nomination was passed by the KMT congress in June. Wang was an early frontrunner to be Ma's running-mate but declined the position absent of assurances from Ma of what responsibilities he would hold as vice president. Other leading candidates were Wu Tun-yi, incumbent KMT general secretary; Jason Lin, CEO of Uni-President Group; and Tsai Ing-wen
, a DPP member and former vice-premier. On June 23, 2007, Ma officially announced former premier and former vice-presidential candidate (in 2000) Vincent Siew
as his running mate, praising Siew's economic experience and declaring the economy to be the central focus of his campaign.
Neither the New Party
nor the People First Party, junior partners of the KMT in the "Pan-Blue Coalition
," fielded a candidate and endorsed the KMT ticket. PFP Chairman James Soong
appeared at KMT headquarters once Ma's victory became apparent and pledged to dissolve the PFP to join the KMT.
on the front burner. The Taiwan-wide events were meant to energize supporters in the home stretch of a race that has so far lacked the passion and commitment of presidential elections in 2000 and 2004.
—reunification
debate is a "fake issue" with no bearing on the general welfare of the Taiwanese people. He also labeled Siew as the would-be "chief architect" to revive the economy, because of Siew's solid economic background.
Ma proposed a common market with China; Hsieh said this would lead to job losses and importation of dangerous Chinese products
, referring to lead-contaminated toys from Mattel and an excess of highly qualified workers from China.
President Chen Shui-Bian suffered a large loss in popularity due to corruption allegations concerning his family. The KMT attempted to capitalize on Ma's public image as a man of integrity, which stemmed from his investigations into vote-buying within his own party while he served as Justice Minister in the early 90s. Ma resigned as Justice Minister in the mid-1990s and his political career was considered to be over due to what some thought was his zealous investigation of corruption. However, Ma Ying-Jeou was indicted on charges of misusing his Mayoral discretionary funds, which was intended for funding personal expenses related to official duties. Ma moved half of the funds into his personal accounts, and his defense was that this practice was standard among government officials. Ma maintained his innocence and stated that the indictment amounted to political prosecution and he would not give up his run for presidency even if found guilty.
DPP candidate Frank Hsieh came under investigation for similar charges in irregularity and misuse of funds while he served as mayor of Kaohsiung. However, different from Ma, Hsieh stated that if he was found guilty in his Mayoral funds case, he would not continue running for president.
On August 12, 2007, Ma was acquitted of misusing the funds, but one of his office clerk was found guilty and faced a year in prison for his own failures in administrative duties.
and maintenance of good cross-straits relations and avoidance of war with People's Republic of China
(PRC). In general, the DPP favors Taiwan independence
; the KMT, on the other hand, promotes the one-China principle and desires eventual unification of Taiwan with mainland China
, as the KMT still regards the ROC as the sole legitimate government of China
. The KMT's main objective is to establish a closer economic relationship with mainland China. It was widely recognized that no candidate could win without supporting the status quo
of de facto autonomy and ambiguous legal status (as they did in 2004) in order to attract centrist voters. Also, in 2004, both mainstream candidates recognized eventual unification and independence as a possible option as a means to attract the center. The strategy of both sides, as was the case in 2004, was to persuade voters that it can best maintain the status quo and protect Taiwan from coerced unification by the People's Republic of China
.
While the smaller, more radical TSU favors immediate moves to rename the country as Republic of Taiwan, the much more mainstream DPP under Chen Shui-bian has taken a more moderate position
regarding independence during incumbency. At the same time the Chen administration has moved to promote a separate Taiwanese identity
and give official recognition to Taiwan's de facto independence from the mainland such as by equating Taiwan with the Republic of China
. The front-runners for the DPP nomination are all considered more moderate then Chen Shui-bian.
The KMT party line is against one country, two systems
, but supports dialogue with the Communist Party of China
under the "1992 Consensus
" which presumes one China, different interpretations. During the campaign, Ma articulated a three noes
policy, no independence, no unification, no use of force. He has also stated that during his first term of office, he will not discuss unification, make no changes to the ROC constitution, and will not personally meet Hu Jintao
.
The DPP, in contrast, opposes recognizing One China (a prerequisite set by the PRC for negotiations), and no official talks have occurred under the Chen administration. The DPP also denies that there ever was a consensus in 1992. Both sides supports opening of the three links
with mainland China, but with different focus on time and security. Difficulty comes from the PRC's refusal to negotiate unless the Taiwanese counterparty accepts the one-China principle under the 1992 consensus, which only allows the KMT to start three links in early incumbency.
and the legality of the Central Government's name-change administrative order was another topic of heated debate. Conservative observers tended to view the name changes as signs of reactionary desinicization
, while others viewed the name changing as signs of Taiwan localization movement carving a separate identity for Taiwan's name. The issue was, like most others, split strongly between Pan-Blue and Pan-Green supporters.
President-Elect Ma Ying-jeou pledged that he would revert the name changes of national landmarks, government organizations, and government-owned corporations conducted by the Chen Shui-bian administration. The Pan-Blue generally considered these name changes to be illegal because they were done through administrative orders, bypassing the Pan-Blue dominated legislature. Further examples of landmarks and organizations that were renamed are Chinese Petroleum Company and China Shipbuilding Corporation.
and the Democratic Progressive Party
legislators. Hsieh stated that Ma would not have become former President Chiang Ching-kuo
's English secretary in 1977 if Chiang had known that Ma was in possession of a green card and his status as a US permanent resident.
Ma Ying-Jeou at first denied that he had a green card, however, he later admitted that he once possessed one. He also stated that he had not violated any law by possessing a US green card and that he never intended to hide the fact he was once a US permanent resident. He also maintained that possession of a green card, as well as having the status as a US permanent resident, was not against any government regulations at the time. Ma also stated that he believed that his green card was automatically invalidated when he applied for a US visa at the American Institute in Taiwan
in 1985. Hsieh's questioning of Ma Ying-jeou
's loyalty to the Republic of China and to the people of Taiwan as a President with two passports continued when he stated that several of Ma's family members carried US passports and citizenship, including Ma's US born daughter Lesley Weichung Ma. Ma's response was that
Two TVBS
political opinion poll conducted after Hsieh released his statement showed a slight dip in Ma Ying-jeou's support, but was well within the margin of error.
The legislators were labeled the "Four Idiots"(四個笨蛋) by the media and suspended from the party. Ma apologized for their actions on six separate occasions.
It is illegal to publish opinion polls in the ten days leading up to the election, but gambling syndicates changed their offering to "Ma wins by 200,000 votes" bets, down from "Ma wins by 500,000 votes" bets before the incident.
at a rally in Taichung
, Chuang Kuo-jung
, a deputy secretary for the Department of Education, called Ma Ying-jeou a "chicken" and further insulted his father and family. He mentioned a recent discovery by a magazine investigation that Ma's father Ma Ho-ling
was proven to have slept with his foster daughter in the past. This drew the wrath of the Taiwanese public. With more investigations by broadcasting channels, the claims were deemed fake. DPP officials felt that the wording used by Chuang was insulting and inappropriate, and therefore, publicly apologized for Chuang's uncalled for and profane remarks. His speech was ridden with distaste and foul language deemed inappropriate for broadcast television, and had to be censored by NCC. Chuang initially resigned from his post as secretary of the Ministry of Education without an apology. Minister Tu accepted the resignations, after reservations. The next day, Chuang issued a formal apology through media.
Chuang's behavior has consequences affecting his teaching position at the National Chengchi University
. As of June 19, 2008, the faculty panel has decided not to renew his teaching contract for the following school year.
. Ma himself tried to capitalize on the Tibet issue by suggesting a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
. Hsieh fired back that it would only hurt the Chinese Taipei
athletes, and that that proved that Ma was a "cold-hearted person". But while there was speculation that Tibet could become a swing issue, the final vote went as predicted.
Note: It is important to note that in terms of political orientation, TVBS
, United Daily News
, and China Times
are considered Pan-Blue and pro-unification
, while sources such as South News are considered Pan-Green and pro-independence
.
Republic of China law also prohibits the publishing of any new opinion polling data in the last ten days leading up to the election.
† Numbers published by Global Views are calculated from a campaign indicator model.
, all citizens of the Republic of China
of at least 20 years of age who have held household registration in the "Free Area of the Republic of China
" (Taiwan
, Penghu, Kinmen
, Matsu
, etc.) were eligible to vote. Under existing law, all voters travelled to their registered precincts to vote. Ballots were counted by hand at the precincts and the KMT declared victory less than three hours after the close of polls at 4:00 pm.
Because of KMT strategy of having people boycott the referendum, one major controversy, like in 2004 was the format of the polling, specifically as whether the referendum questions would be on the same or different ballots as the Presidency. While in 2004 the Central Electoral Commission allowed U shaped line in which people would first cast a ballot for President and then cast a separate ballot for each of the two questions, the Commission ordered voters to cast all votes at once on separate ballots. Voters who choose not to cast a referendum ballot simply declined to pick up the extra two ballots.
Polls closed at 16:00 local time (UTC+8) on March 22, 2008. The final result, with all 14,401 precincts reporting, showed a landslide victory for the KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou over the DPP candidate Frank Hsieh, with 7,658,724 votes, 58.45% of the popular vote for Ma against 5,445,239 votes, 41.55% for Hsieh. Turnout was 76.33%, with 13.2 million votes from 17.3 million eligible voters. The CEC released the final results with 100% of precincts reporting.
One local media commentator analyzed that their primary concern may be more economic than political, and
quoted Bill Clinton
's famous slogan, "It's the economy, stupid
", as an explanation of the landslide victory for Ma. There was a sizeable number of Taiwanese who would prefer maintaining the status quo, a position favoured by Ma when he proclaimed that he would "not push for Taiwan independence or reunification with China if elected".
, Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng
, Chairman Wu Po-hsiung were presented and celebrated with the large crowd. At 7:30 pm, Presidential-elect Ma Ying-jeou came out and spoke about what is expected of his new government when it begins office on May 20, 2008.
Many DPP supporters were very disappointed with the results of the election. Various DPP members went on stage at the party's Central Headquarters in Taipei and apologised to the Taiwanese people. Runner-up Presidential candidate Frank Hsieh stated that the result should be considered a blow to himself rather than a blow to Taiwan's young democracy. He pledged he would never again run for public office. The DPP leaders ended the day by bowing down to the crowd.
After a press conference on March 23 where Ma stated that he will work to open up the Three Links
and improve cross-strait relations, Taiwan's stock market saw a large rise. The accumulated index jumped 534 points to 9049. 1100 listed companies saw their share prices rise. Of these, financial stocks all rose to trading limit levels, with transportation companies, speculated to benefit from improved relations with mainland China, also quickly reaching price rise limits. Other sectors that saw strong rises include large conglomerates, real property, electronics and technology.
commented on the failure of the two United Nations
-related referenda held concurrently with the election, stating that the results showed the lack of popular support for independence in Taiwan. The Bureau also expressed optimism for the two governments to work together to maintain cross-strait peace and aid development in future. It is speculated that the mainland government would be pleased with the result.
While also refraining from commenting directly on the results, the People's Daily
, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China
prominently displayed the election results, including the photos and brief biographies of the winning candidates, on its website. This, speculated Hong Kong
's Ming Pao
, showed signs of positive interaction between the two governments in future.
. China has thus far not responded to these messages.: Known to have good relations with both Republic of China and the People's Republic of China, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs
issued a statement to congratulate Dr Ma Ying-jeou on his election, saying "As a long-standing friend of Taiwan, Singapore will continue to maintain good relations with Taiwan based on our 'One China' policy.' We look forward to better cross-strait relations.": President
George W. Bush
congratulated Ma Ying-jeou on his election victory, saying the United States will "continue to maintain close unofficial ties with the people on Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan
in accordance with our long standing one China policy, our three Joint Communiqués
with the People's Republic of China, and the Taiwan Relations Act
.": Minister of Foreign Affairs
Maxime Bernier
issued a press release on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade website congratulating Ma Ying-jeou and also complimented the "smooth and orderly" electoral process, "demonstrating that democracy is laying down strong roots." Furthermore he stated: "I also welcome Ma Ying-jeou’s central election commitment to improve cross-strait relations with China. This is consistent with Canada’s long-standing position that advocates for peaceful dialogue between the concerned parties."
Most other countries chose to issue general statements without specifically congratulating anyone:: German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
stated "The German government hails the election in Taiwan. Germany supports the democratic values of Taiwan and the economic development of the island". He also said that he hoped for a "peaceful dialogue" between Taipei and Beijing.: Foreign Minister Masahiko Kōmura
says that "Japan hopes that the issue surrounding Taiwan will be resolved peacefully by direct dialogue between the parties concerned on the Taiwan Straits and that dialogue will resume soon for that purpose", while avoiding to evaluate the election results directly. He further stressed that Japan "intends to maintain Japan-Taiwan relations as a working relationship on a non-governmental basis".: Foreign Secretary
David Miliband
issued a statement on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
website saying "The successful Presidential elections in Taiwan today are testament to Taiwan's vibrant democracy. The forthcoming change of administration is a real opportunity to renew efforts to improve cross-Strait relations. I hope that the Chinese Government and the new administration will now engage in direct dialogue to resolve differences and find a peaceful solution to the Taiwan question, acceptable to the populations on both sides of the Straits."
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
on Saturday, March 22, 2008. Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(KMT) nominee Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
won with 58% of the vote, ending eight years of Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
rule. Along with the 2008 legislative election
Republic of China legislative election, 2008
The 7th Legislative elections were held on January 12, 2008 in the Republic of China . The results gave the Kuomintang and the Pan-Blue Coalition a supermajority in the legislature, handing a heavy defeat to then-President Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party, which won the remaining 27...
, Ma's landslide victory brought the Kuomintang back to power in Taiwan.
This was the fourth direct election for the President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
. The two candidates were Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
(DPP) candidate Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
and Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(KMT) nominee Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
. The KMT ticket was officially formed as of June 23, 2007, with Ma announcing his choice for running mate to be former premier Vincent Siew
Vincent Siew
Vincent C. Siew Wan-chang is the incumbent Vice President of the Republic of China. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang .-Biography:...
. The DPP ticket was announced in August, 2007, with Frank Hsieh selecting former Premier Su Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process...
. Unlike the 2004 presidential election, the political rhetoric of the campaigns tended to focus on economic issues
Economy of Taiwan
Taiwan has a developed capitalist economy that ranks as the 19th largest in the world by Purchasing power parity and 24th in nominal GDP of investment and foreign trade by the Republic of China government which governs Taiwan. In keeping with this trend, most large government-owned banks and...
and government corruption rather than national identity
Taiwan's identity crisis
The definition of Taiwanese identity has been an ongoing issue for several decades arising from the political rivalry between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China . Taiwanese are frustrated by the political rivalry which is the cause of confusion both inside and outside...
and the political status of Taiwan
Political status of Taiwan
The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...
, with both candidates endorsing the status quo in the short term. But much like previous elections, this election was also marked with island-wide mass rallies and much political mudslinging.
The KMT ticket received a larger percentage and more votes than any other candidate in the previous three direct presidential elections. The election occurred as incumbent President Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
's popularity remained at record lows following mass rallies in September 2006
Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go
Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go was a mass campaign led by former Democratic Progressive Party leader and Taiwanese politician Shih Ming-te to pressure Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian to resign.-Background:...
urging him to resign amid implications of corruption. Amid general economic malaise, as unemployment had risen under Chen's presidency and Taiwan's per capita GDP was surpassed by that of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Ma won on a platform of economic revitalization and a promise to improve cross-straits relations, in contrast to Chen's confrontational style, as "a peacemaker not a troublemaker". The election occurred in the wake of the KMT's landslide victory in the 2008 legislative elections
Republic of China legislative election, 2008
The 7th Legislative elections were held on January 12, 2008 in the Republic of China . The results gave the Kuomintang and the Pan-Blue Coalition a supermajority in the legislature, handing a heavy defeat to then-President Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party, which won the remaining 27...
in which the Pan-Blue Coalition
Pan-Blue Coalition
The Pan-Blue Coalition 泛藍聯盟 or Pan-Blue Force is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party . The name comes from the party colours of the Kuomintang...
won a three-quarters majority in the Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan
The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China .The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People...
. On the same day two referenda
Republic of China United Nations membership referendum, 2008
Two referendums on the participation of the Republic of China in the United Nations were put to Republic of China voters on March 22, 2008, the same day as the presidential election....
on joining the United Nations
China and the United Nations
China's seat in the United Nations and membership of the United Nations Security Council was originally occupied by the Republic of China since October 24, 1945. During the Chinese Civil War, the Communist Party of China repelled the government of the ROC from Mainland China to the island of...
, the first supported by the DPP of President Chen and the second supported by the KMT, failed due to low turnout. Prior to the vote, the KMT had encouraged its supporters to boycott the DPP referendum, and expressed its "understanding" if supporters boycotted both.
Presidential nominees
Candidates were to register with their respective parties March 5–9, 2007, for a primary election. Selection of candidates for President in the Republic of China, unlike most other nations, were weighed. The actual primary election results accounted for 30% of the final outcome while public opinion polls accounted for the other 70%. Final tallies were announced May 30, 2007.Democratic Progressive Party
Leading candidates for the Democratic Progressive PartyDemocratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
"Four Heavenly Kings
Four Heavenly Kings
In the Buddhist faith, the Four Heavenly Kings are four gods, each of whom watches over one cardinal direction of the world.The Kings are collectively named as follows:...
" (a less literal translation in English that perhaps gives the meaning more clearly is the "Four Heavyweights") sans incumbent President Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
(who was barred from running due to term limits)—Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
, Su Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process...
, and Yu Shyi-kun
Yu Shyi-kun
Yu Shyi-kun , a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party, is a former chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. He previously served as Premier of the Republic of China from 2002 to 2005...
—and incumbent vice president Annette Lu
Annette Lu
Annette Lu Hsiu-lien , was the Vice President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008, under Chen Shui-bian. She announced her intentions to run for President of Taiwan on March 6, 2007, but withdrew in order to support DPP presidential nominee, Frank Hsieh...
. All three of the men had served as premier
Premier of the Republic of China
The President of the Executive Yuan , commonly known as the Premier of the Republic of China , is the head of the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of the Republic of China , which currently administers Taiwan, Matsu, and Kinmen. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China...
under Chen Shui-bian and as DPP chairman during part of the Chen presidency. In addition, Hsieh has been a popular mayor of Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Su has been county magistrate of Taipei County
Taipei County
New Taipei City is the most populous city of Taiwan. The area includes a substantial stretch of Taiwan's northern coastline and surrounds the Taipei Basin...
and Pingtung County
Pingtung County
Pingtung County is a county in Southern Taiwan. Pingtung County is officially administered as a county of the Republic of China . The oldest national park in Taiwan, Kenting National Park, was established in Pingtung County in 1984...
, and Yu served as Secretary-General in the Office of the President.
On May 6, 2007, the DPP primaries took place in all 24 cities and counties in Taiwan. There were 254,963 eligible voters, with voter turnout at 56.06%. Former premier Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
emerged as the winner of the DPP primaries, winning 17 of 24 cities and counties with 62,849 votes, about 44% of the votes cast. Despite the fact that the primary results only account for 30% of the final outcome in determining the nominee, fellow DPP candidates Su, who got 46,994 votes; Yu, with 22,211 votes; and Lu with 8,666 votes, endorsed Hsieh before the second stage primary, based on opinion polls, was held, causing the DPP to cancel the second stage primary.
The junior partner in the pan-green coalition
Pan-Green Coalition
The Pan-Green Coalition or Pan-Green Camp, is an informal political alliance of the Republic of China, commonly known as "Taiwan", consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party , Taiwan Solidarity Union , and the minor Taiwan Independence Party...
, the Taiwan Solidarity Union
Taiwan Solidarity Union
The Taiwan Solidarity Union is a political party in the Republic of China which advocates Taiwan independence. It was officially founded on July 24, 2001 and is considered part of the Pan-Green Coalition. Unlike the Democratic Progressive Party, its larger companion party in the Pan-Green...
, neither fielded nor endorsed a candidate. TSU Chairman Shu Chin-Chiang
Shu Chin-chiang
Shu Chin-chiang is a Taiwanese novelist and politician. His pen name is "Lu Jiang" . As a politician, he strongly supports the cause of Taiwan independence. In 2001 he began to serve as the secretary of Taiwan Solidarity Union and in 2005 he was elevated to the party chairperson...
seemingly endorsed Ma on September 19, 2007 when he referred to Ma as "our President-to-be." At the same time, several TSU legislators stated that they would support DPP candidate Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
. In December, Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
, considered the "spiritual leader" of the TSU, rescinded his support of Chen in 2004, and urged citizens against voting for the DPP in upcoming legislative elections. While Lee openly denounced supporting the ruling DPP party, he stopped short of endorsing any party or candidate and waited until March 20, 2008 (two days before the election) to endorse Hsieh.
Kuomintang
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
and Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng
Wang Jin-pyng
Wang Jin-pyng , Taiwan, Empire of Japan), Taiwanese politician, is the President of the Legislative Yuan. As one of the leading figures of the Kuomintang, Wang is considered to be soft-spoken and a conciliatory figure.-Early life:...
were both considered leading candidates for the nomination. Ma's landslide victory over Wang in the 2005 KMT chairman election immediately made him the frontrunner. His position was furthered bolstered by the KMT's victories in the 2005 3-in-1 local elections. Ma Ying-jeou began his campaign before his announcement for candidacy, taking trips Europe and Japan in 2006, nominally to obtain business deals for Taipei, but covered widely by the media for his foreign policy remarks. He met with numerous politicians in Washington, DC, including U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick
Robert Zoellick
Robert Bruce Zoellick is the eleventh president of the World Bank, a position he has held since July 1, 2007. He was previously a managing director of Goldman Sachs, United States Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Trade Representative, from February 7, 2001 until February 22, 2005.President...
. Significantly, Ma Ying-jeou became the first head of a pan-Blue coalition party to state that declaring de jure Taiwanese independence was a legitimate choice of the Taiwanese people, though he qualified it saying that this was not a position of the KMT, after receiving much criticism from pan-Blue politicians. He also stated that Taiwan should form a common market with mainland China and establish direct transportation links
Three Links
The Three Links or Three Linkages was a "message of Compatriots in Taiwan" calling for the unification of mainland China and Taiwan. It was sent by the PRC National People's Congress in 1979....
.
On February 13, 2007 Ma was indicted for misuse of official funds as Taipei Mayor and announced his candidacy as he resigned the KMT chairmanship. He was formally nominated as the KMT candidate on May 2, 2007. Wang did not run against Ma and Ma was virtually unopposed. Final approval of the nomination was passed by the KMT congress in June. Wang was an early frontrunner to be Ma's running-mate but declined the position absent of assurances from Ma of what responsibilities he would hold as vice president. Other leading candidates were Wu Tun-yi, incumbent KMT general secretary; Jason Lin, CEO of Uni-President Group; and Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen is the current chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Studying in Taiwan, the U.S and the U.K. Tsai earned an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics....
, a DPP member and former vice-premier. On June 23, 2007, Ma officially announced former premier and former vice-presidential candidate (in 2000) Vincent Siew
Vincent Siew
Vincent C. Siew Wan-chang is the incumbent Vice President of the Republic of China. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang .-Biography:...
as his running mate, praising Siew's economic experience and declaring the economy to be the central focus of his campaign.
Neither the New Party
New Party (Republic of China)
The New Party, formerly the Chinese New Party , is a centre-right conservative political party in the Republic of China , and part of the pan-blue coalition....
nor the People First Party, junior partners of the KMT in the "Pan-Blue Coalition
Pan-Blue Coalition
The Pan-Blue Coalition 泛藍聯盟 or Pan-Blue Force is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party . The name comes from the party colours of the Kuomintang...
," fielded a candidate and endorsed the KMT ticket. PFP Chairman James Soong
James Soong
James Soong Chu-yu , is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party, a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition....
appeared at KMT headquarters once Ma's victory became apparent and pledged to dissolve the PFP to join the KMT.
Issues
Tens of thousands of Taiwanese waved banners and shouted political slogans March 16, 2008, as the island's rival parties rallied support ahead of the March 22, 2008 presidential elections, with the March 2008 violence in Tibet in the background and Taiwan's own relations with the Chinese mainlandPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
on the front burner. The Taiwan-wide events were meant to energize supporters in the home stretch of a race that has so far lacked the passion and commitment of presidential elections in 2000 and 2004.
The Economy
Since selecting Vincent Siew as his running mate, Ma announced that the focus of his election campaign was the recovery of the Taiwanese economy. He said that the independenceTaiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
—reunification
Chinese reunification
Chinese reunification refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity...
debate is a "fake issue" with no bearing on the general welfare of the Taiwanese people. He also labeled Siew as the would-be "chief architect" to revive the economy, because of Siew's solid economic background.
Ma proposed a common market with China; Hsieh said this would lead to job losses and importation of dangerous Chinese products
2007 Chinese export recalls
In 2007 a series of product recalls and import bans were imposed by the product safety institutions of the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand against products manufactured in and exported from the mainland of the People's Republic of China because of numerous...
, referring to lead-contaminated toys from Mattel and an excess of highly qualified workers from China.
Corruption
The investigations into alleged misuse of funds by members of both the KMT and DPP were another hot topic.President Chen Shui-Bian suffered a large loss in popularity due to corruption allegations concerning his family. The KMT attempted to capitalize on Ma's public image as a man of integrity, which stemmed from his investigations into vote-buying within his own party while he served as Justice Minister in the early 90s. Ma resigned as Justice Minister in the mid-1990s and his political career was considered to be over due to what some thought was his zealous investigation of corruption. However, Ma Ying-Jeou was indicted on charges of misusing his Mayoral discretionary funds, which was intended for funding personal expenses related to official duties. Ma moved half of the funds into his personal accounts, and his defense was that this practice was standard among government officials. Ma maintained his innocence and stated that the indictment amounted to political prosecution and he would not give up his run for presidency even if found guilty.
DPP candidate Frank Hsieh came under investigation for similar charges in irregularity and misuse of funds while he served as mayor of Kaohsiung. However, different from Ma, Hsieh stated that if he was found guilty in his Mayoral funds case, he would not continue running for president.
On August 12, 2007, Ma was acquitted of misusing the funds, but one of his office clerk was found guilty and faced a year in prison for his own failures in administrative duties.
Status of Taiwan
As is common with Taiwanese elections, an important issue in the election is the future political status of TaiwanPolitical status of Taiwan
The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...
and maintenance of good cross-straits relations and avoidance of war with People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(PRC). In general, the DPP favors Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
; the KMT, on the other hand, promotes the one-China principle and desires eventual unification of Taiwan with mainland China
Chinese reunification
Chinese reunification refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity...
, as the KMT still regards the ROC as the sole legitimate government of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The KMT's main objective is to establish a closer economic relationship with mainland China. It was widely recognized that no candidate could win without supporting the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
of de facto autonomy and ambiguous legal status (as they did in 2004) in order to attract centrist voters. Also, in 2004, both mainstream candidates recognized eventual unification and independence as a possible option as a means to attract the center. The strategy of both sides, as was the case in 2004, was to persuade voters that it can best maintain the status quo and protect Taiwan from coerced unification by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
While the smaller, more radical TSU favors immediate moves to rename the country as Republic of Taiwan, the much more mainstream DPP under Chen Shui-bian has taken a more moderate position
Four Noes and One Without
The Four Noes and One Without , also known as the Four Noes was a pledge by former President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian made in his inauguration speech on 20 May 2000 concerning the political status of Taiwan...
regarding independence during incumbency. At the same time the Chen administration has moved to promote a separate Taiwanese identity
Taiwanese localization movement
Taiwanization , also known as the Taiwanese localization movement, is a political term used in Taiwan to emphasize the importance of a separate Taiwanese culture rather than to regard Taiwan as solely an appendage of China...
and give official recognition to Taiwan's de facto independence from the mainland such as by equating Taiwan with the Republic of China
Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China
The Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China or the Theory of the Four Stages of the Republic of China is a controversial viewpoint proposed by Chen Shui-bian, the previous President of the Republic of China...
. The front-runners for the DPP nomination are all considered more moderate then Chen Shui-bian.
The KMT party line is against one country, two systems
One country, two systems
"One country, two systems" is an idea originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping, then Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China , for the reunification of China during the early 1980s...
, but supports dialogue with the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
under the "1992 Consensus
1992 Consensus
The 1992 Consensus or Consensus of 1992 is a term describing the outcome of a meeting in 1992 between the semi-official representatives of the People's Republic of China in mainland China and the Republic of China in Taiwan...
" which presumes one China, different interpretations. During the campaign, Ma articulated a three noes
Three Noes
The Three-Noes Policy is a policy in the 1980s maintained by President Chiang Ching-kuo of the Republic of China, commonly known as "Taiwan", in response to the People’s Republic of China's attempts to have direct contact with the ROC...
policy, no independence, no unification, no use of force. He has also stated that during his first term of office, he will not discuss unification, make no changes to the ROC constitution, and will not personally meet Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
.
The DPP, in contrast, opposes recognizing One China (a prerequisite set by the PRC for negotiations), and no official talks have occurred under the Chen administration. The DPP also denies that there ever was a consensus in 1992. Both sides supports opening of the three links
Three Links
The Three Links or Three Linkages was a "message of Compatriots in Taiwan" calling for the unification of mainland China and Taiwan. It was sent by the PRC National People's Congress in 1979....
with mainland China, but with different focus on time and security. Difficulty comes from the PRC's refusal to negotiate unless the Taiwanese counterparty accepts the one-China principle under the 1992 consensus, which only allows the KMT to start three links in early incumbency.
Use of the name "Taiwan"
During the presidency of Chen Shui-bian, some state-controlled and state-owned firms have restored or added "Taiwan" to their names, such as renaming Chunghwa Post (Chinese Post) to Taiwan Post, the name it bore into the ROC period of rule on Taiwan; and Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, its originally planned name. The naming controversy of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallChiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attractions erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei, Republic of China ....
and the legality of the Central Government's name-change administrative order was another topic of heated debate. Conservative observers tended to view the name changes as signs of reactionary desinicization
Desinicization
Desinicization is a term that describes the act of the elimination of Chinese influence, which is the opposite of "sinicization".-Historical:...
, while others viewed the name changing as signs of Taiwan localization movement carving a separate identity for Taiwan's name. The issue was, like most others, split strongly between Pan-Blue and Pan-Green supporters.
President-Elect Ma Ying-jeou pledged that he would revert the name changes of national landmarks, government organizations, and government-owned corporations conducted by the Chen Shui-bian administration. The Pan-Blue generally considered these name changes to be illegal because they were done through administrative orders, bypassing the Pan-Blue dominated legislature. Further examples of landmarks and organizations that were renamed are Chinese Petroleum Company and China Shipbuilding Corporation.
Green card issue
An issue that had been brought into the presidential campaign is the questioning of Ma Ying-jeou's loyalty to the Republic of China and to the people of Taiwan by his opponent Frank HsiehFrank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
and the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
legislators. Hsieh stated that Ma would not have become former President Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...
's English secretary in 1977 if Chiang had known that Ma was in possession of a green card and his status as a US permanent resident.
Ma Ying-Jeou at first denied that he had a green card, however, he later admitted that he once possessed one. He also stated that he had not violated any law by possessing a US green card and that he never intended to hide the fact he was once a US permanent resident. He also maintained that possession of a green card, as well as having the status as a US permanent resident, was not against any government regulations at the time. Ma also stated that he believed that his green card was automatically invalidated when he applied for a US visa at the American Institute in Taiwan
American Institute in Taiwan
The American Institute in Taiwan is a non-profit, public corporation established under the auspices of the United States government to serve its interests in Taiwan...
in 1985. Hsieh's questioning of Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
's loyalty to the Republic of China and to the people of Taiwan as a President with two passports continued when he stated that several of Ma's family members carried US passports and citizenship, including Ma's US born daughter Lesley Weichung Ma. Ma's response was that
Two TVBS
TVBS
TVBS is a satellite television channel and nationwide cable TV network in Taiwan, Republic of China, launched on September 28, 1993. It was established by TVBI Company Limited , a subsidiary of Television Broadcasts Limited in Hong Kong, and ERA Group of Taiwan, and became a wholly owned...
political opinion poll conducted after Hsieh released his statement showed a slight dip in Ma Ying-jeou's support, but was well within the margin of error.
Hsieh office incident
Four pan-blue legislators attempted to enter the Hsieh election headquarters without permission, with the reason that they were there to investigate the claim that the government provided them office space for free. Hsieh's supporters surrounded them and blocked them as they tried to leave; fighting broke out. The pan-green called it an illegal search and said the pan-blue camp will carry out further similar actions if they controlled both the executive and legislature.The legislators were labeled the "Four Idiots"(四個笨蛋) by the media and suspended from the party. Ma apologized for their actions on six separate occasions.
It is illegal to publish opinion polls in the ten days leading up to the election, but gambling syndicates changed their offering to "Ma wins by 200,000 votes" bets, down from "Ma wins by 500,000 votes" bets before the incident.
Chuang Guo-rong's profanity incident
On March 16, 2008, standing for DPP candidate Frank HsiehFrank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
at a rally in Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, Chuang Kuo-jung
Chuang Kuo-jung
Chuang Kuo-jung is a former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. He served under Minister Tu Cheng-sheng.- Early life :Chuang earned his bachelor's and master's degree from the National Taiwan University and holds a Ph.D from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich,...
, a deputy secretary for the Department of Education, called Ma Ying-jeou a "chicken" and further insulted his father and family. He mentioned a recent discovery by a magazine investigation that Ma's father Ma Ho-ling
Ma Ho-ling
Ma Ho-ling was a high official of Kuomintang and the Republic of China. He was the father of Ma Ying-jeou, the President of the Republic of China.-Biography:...
was proven to have slept with his foster daughter in the past. This drew the wrath of the Taiwanese public. With more investigations by broadcasting channels, the claims were deemed fake. DPP officials felt that the wording used by Chuang was insulting and inappropriate, and therefore, publicly apologized for Chuang's uncalled for and profane remarks. His speech was ridden with distaste and foul language deemed inappropriate for broadcast television, and had to be censored by NCC. Chuang initially resigned from his post as secretary of the Ministry of Education without an apology. Minister Tu accepted the resignations, after reservations. The next day, Chuang issued a formal apology through media.
Chuang's behavior has consequences affecting his teaching position at the National Chengchi University
National Chengchi University
National Chengchi University is a prestigious public university at Muzha in Wenshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan. It is well-known for its concentration on the social sciences, law, commerce, communication, liberal arts and for its MBA programs....
. As of June 19, 2008, the faculty panel has decided not to renew his teaching contract for the following school year.
Impact of unrest in Tibet
Hsieh seized on the 2008 unrest in Tibet to shift the focus of the campaign away from economic issues and accuse Ma of wanting to make Taiwan a "second Tibet". Ma was more cautious, and said he didn't know who was responsible for the violence. Government ministers tried to help Hsieh by ominously comparing a reunified Taiwan with Tibet, and pressuring China to speak with the Dalai Lama14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
. Ma himself tried to capitalize on the Tibet issue by suggesting a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Hsieh fired back that it would only hurt the Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
athletes, and that that proved that Ma was a "cold-hearted person". But while there was speculation that Tibet could become a swing issue, the final vote went as predicted.
Opinion polling
Opinion polls were held by various news agencies and organizations in Taiwan during the election campaign. Before the election, the last of such polls was published on March 11, 2008 because, according to ROC law, opinion polls could not be published within ten days of the election. However, polls can still be taken during the ten days.| Polling Firm | Date | Source | Ma-Siew (KMT) |
Hsieh-Su (DPP) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVBS TVBS TVBS is a satellite television channel and nationwide cable TV network in Taiwan, Republic of China, launched on September 28, 1993. It was established by TVBI Company Limited , a subsidiary of Television Broadcasts Limited in Hong Kong, and ERA Group of Taiwan, and became a wholly owned... |
21 March 2008 | 51 | 29 | 20 | |
| TVBS | 20 March 2008 | 53 | 31 | 16 | |
| TVBS | 19 March 2008 | 52 | 30 | 18 | |
| TVBS | 18 March 2008 | 50 | 31 | 19 | |
| TVBS | 17 March 2008 Chuang Guo-rong's profanity incident |
54 | 28 | 18 | |
| TVBS | 14 March 2008 | 51 | 29 | 20 | |
| TVBS | 13 March 2008 | 47 | 32 | 21 | |
| TVBS | 12 March 2008 Hsieh office incident |
47 | 30 | 23 | |
| TVBS | 11 March 2008 | 54 | 29 | 17 | |
| TVBS | 10 March 2008 | 53 | 29 | 18 | |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 10 March 2008 | HTML | 61.7 | 38.3 | |
| China Times China Times The China Times is a newspaper published in the Republic of China in Traditional Chinese. It is one of the four biggest newspapers in Taiwan, the other three being the Liberty Times, United Daily News, and Apple Daily .... |
9 March 2008 After the second debate |
HTML 1 2 | 48.9 | 21.8 | 29.3 |
| United Daily News United Daily News The United Daily News is a newspaper published in the Republic of China in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese. It is one of the three biggest newspapers in Taiwan, the other two being the China Times and the Liberty Times.-History:... |
HTML | 52 | 22 | 26 | |
| TVBS | 50 | 31 | 19 | ||
| South News | HTML | 41 | 38 | 21 | |
| United Daily News United Daily News The United Daily News is a newspaper published in the Republic of China in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese. It is one of the three biggest newspapers in Taiwan, the other two being the China Times and the Liberty Times.-History:... |
March 5–9, 2008 Before the second debate |
HTML | 49 | 21 | 30 |
| TVBS | 7 March 2008 | 54 | 28 | 18 | |
| Apple Daily Apple Daily (Taiwan) The Apple Daily is a tabloid-style newspaper printed in Taiwan and owned by Hong Kong-based Next Media. Next Media is based in Hong Kong and also prints the Apple Daily . The publication is well known internationally for its animated news stories on pop culture outside Taiwan.-History:Apple Daily ... |
HTML | 41.3 | 19.8 | 38.9 | |
| China Times | 5 March 2008 | HTML 1 2 | 52.7 | 21.1 | 26.2 |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 3 March 2008 | 61.8 | 38.2 | ||
| United Daily News | 29 February 2008 | HTML | 55 | 18 | 27 |
| TVBS | 54 | 30 | 16 | ||
| China Times | 24 February 2008 After the first debate |
HTML | 48.6 | 22.7 | 28.7 |
| United Daily News | HTML | 49 | 21 | 30 | |
| TVBS | 49 | 29 | 22 | ||
| TVBS | 22 February 2008 | 53 | 31 | 17 | |
| China Times | 21 February 2008 | HTML | 47 | 22 | 31 |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 20 February 2008 | 63.3 | 36.7 | ||
| TVBS | 15 February 2008 | 53 | 29 | 19 | |
| United Daily News | 14 February 2008 Spy incident |
HTML | 56 | 18 | 26 |
| Apple Daily | 13 February 2008 | HTML | 36.3 | 19.5 | 44.2 |
| TVBS | 31 January 2008 | 56 | 30 | 14 | |
| TVBS | 29 January 2008 Green card United States Permanent Resident Card United States lawful permanent residency refers to a person's immigration status: the person is authorized to live and work in the United States of America on a permanent basis.... incident |
53 | 26 | 21 | |
| United Daily News | 26 January 2008 Before the official registration of candidacy |
HTML | 54 | 23 | 23 |
| China Times | 25 January 2008 | HTML | 46.0 | 23.2 | 30.8 |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 18 January 2008 | HTML 1 2 | 62.3 | 37.7 | |
| China Times via United Daily News | 16 January 2008 | HTML | 52.8 | 20.8 | 26.4 |
| TVBS | 15 January 2008 | 56 | 26 | 18 | |
| United Daily News | 13 January 2008 After the legislative election |
HTML | 60 | 18 | 22 |
| China Times | HTML | 51.4 | 19.9 | 28.7 | |
| China Times via United Daily News | 9 January 2008 | HTML | 48.3 | 25.1 | 26.6 |
| China Times via United Daily News | 3 January 2008 | HTML | 47.5 | 22.5 | 30 |
| United Daily News | 28 December 2007 After Ma is cleared of corruption charges |
HTML | 52 | 23 | 25 |
| China Times via United Daily News | HTML | 45.3 | 24.2 | 30.5 | |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 19 December 2007 | 60.8 | 39.2 | ||
| China Times via United Daily News | 20 November 2007 | HTML | 37.1 | 21.4 | 41.5 |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 19 November 2007 | HTML | 58.6 | 41.4 | |
| China Times via United Daily News | 16 November 2007 | HTML | 36.9 | 22.1 | 41 |
| China Times via United Daily News | 8 November 2007 | HTML | 35.7 | 24.9 | 39.4 |
| United Daily News | 24 October 2007 | HTML | 50 | 25 | 25 |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 18 October 2007 | HTML | 59.4 | 40.6 | |
| United Daily News | 22 September 2007 After Hsieh and Su not indicted in their discretionary funds cases |
HTML | 51 | 27 | 22 |
| TVBS | 19 September 2007 | 53 | 30 | 17 | |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 20 September 2007 | 60.9 | 39.1 | ||
| TVBS | 28 August 2007 | 54 | 32 | 14 | |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | 21 August 2007 | 61.6 | 38.4 | ||
| TVBS | 15 August 2007 | 51 | 30 | 19 | |
| Era News via United Daily News | 14 August 2007 After Ma is cleared of corruption charges |
HTML | 45.5 | 21.8 | 32.7 |
| United Daily News | HTML | 52 | 22 | 26 | |
| China Times via United Daily News | HTML | 37.0 | 25.2 | 37.8 | |
| United Daily News | 13 August 2007 After announcement of the Hsieh-Su ticket's formation |
HTML | 40 | 27 | 33 |
| Kuomintang | 9 August 2007 | HTML | 58.2 | 41.8 | |
| TVBS | 2 August 2007 | 47 | 28 | 25 | |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | July 2007 | 62.3 | 37.7 | ||
| TVBS | 11 July 2007 | 49 | 25 | 26 | |
| China Times | 24 June 2007 After announcement of the Ma-Siew ticket's formation |
HTML | 40 | 20 | 40 |
| United Daily News | HTML | 50 | 23 | 27 | |
| TVBS | 51 | 27 | 22 | ||
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | June 2007 | 56.6 | 43.4 | ||
| United Daily News | 4 June 2007 | HTML | 58 | 17 | 25 |
| TVBS | 22 May 2007 | 50 | 25 | 25 | |
| Global Views (遠見雜誌)† | May 2007 | HTML | 57.3 | 42.7 | |
| China Times | May 2007 | HTML | 33 | 24 | 43 |
| United Daily News | 6 May 2007 | HTML | 43 | 28 | 29 |
| TVBS | 4 May 2007 | DOC | 50 | 29 | 21 |
| United Daily News | 29 April 2007 | HTML | 52 | 21 | 27 |
| TVBS | 29 January 2007 | 60 | 20 | 20 |
Note: It is important to note that in terms of political orientation, TVBS
TVBS
TVBS is a satellite television channel and nationwide cable TV network in Taiwan, Republic of China, launched on September 28, 1993. It was established by TVBI Company Limited , a subsidiary of Television Broadcasts Limited in Hong Kong, and ERA Group of Taiwan, and became a wholly owned...
, United Daily News
United Daily News
The United Daily News is a newspaper published in the Republic of China in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese. It is one of the three biggest newspapers in Taiwan, the other two being the China Times and the Liberty Times.-History:...
, and China Times
China Times
The China Times is a newspaper published in the Republic of China in Traditional Chinese. It is one of the four biggest newspapers in Taiwan, the other three being the Liberty Times, United Daily News, and Apple Daily ....
are considered Pan-Blue and pro-unification
Chinese reunification
Chinese reunification refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity...
, while sources such as South News are considered Pan-Green and pro-independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
.
Republic of China law also prohibits the publishing of any new opinion polling data in the last ten days leading up to the election.
† Numbers published by Global Views are calculated from a campaign indicator model.
Mechanics
The election was by direct popular vote; a simple plurality was required to win. According to the Constitution of the Republic of ChinaConstitution of the Republic of China
The Constitution of the Republic of China is the fundamental law of the Republic of China . Drafted by the Kuomintang as part of its third stage of national development , it established a centralized Republic with five branches of government...
, all citizens of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
of at least 20 years of age who have held household registration in the "Free Area of the Republic of China
Free Area of the Republic of China
The Free area of the Republic of China is a legal and political description referring to the territories under the control of the government of Republic of China , consisting of the island groups of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and some minor islands...
" (Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Penghu, Kinmen
Kinmen
Kinmen , also known as Quemoy , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China : Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC. The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of its...
, Matsu
Matsu Islands
The Matsu Islands are a minor archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang County , Fujian Province of the Republic of China . Only a small area of what is historically Lienchiang County is under the control of the ROC...
, etc.) were eligible to vote. Under existing law, all voters travelled to their registered precincts to vote. Ballots were counted by hand at the precincts and the KMT declared victory less than three hours after the close of polls at 4:00 pm.
Because of KMT strategy of having people boycott the referendum, one major controversy, like in 2004 was the format of the polling, specifically as whether the referendum questions would be on the same or different ballots as the Presidency. While in 2004 the Central Electoral Commission allowed U shaped line in which people would first cast a ballot for President and then cast a separate ballot for each of the two questions, the Commission ordered voters to cast all votes at once on separate ballots. Voters who choose not to cast a referendum ballot simply declined to pick up the extra two ballots.
Election results
Polls closed at 16:00 local time (UTC+8) on March 22, 2008. The final result, with all 14,401 precincts reporting, showed a landslide victory for the KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou over the DPP candidate Frank Hsieh, with 7,658,724 votes, 58.45% of the popular vote for Ma against 5,445,239 votes, 41.55% for Hsieh. Turnout was 76.33%, with 13.2 million votes from 17.3 million eligible voters. The CEC released the final results with 100% of precincts reporting.
One local media commentator analyzed that their primary concern may be more economic than political, and
quoted Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's famous slogan, "It's the economy, stupid
It's the economy, stupid
"It's the economy, stupid" was a phrase in American politics widely used during Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign against George H. W. Bush. For a time, Bush was considered unbeatable because of foreign policy developments such as the end of the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War...
", as an explanation of the landslide victory for Ma. There was a sizeable number of Taiwanese who would prefer maintaining the status quo, a position favoured by Ma when he proclaimed that he would "not push for Taiwan independence or reunification with China if elected".
Results by county
| Division | | Frank Hsieh | | Ma Ying-jeou | | Invalid ballots | |Margin |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | | % | | Votes | | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taipei City | 593,256 | 36.97% | 1,011,546 | 63.03% | 12,807 | 418,290 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Taipei County | 866,915 | 38.94% | 1,359,419 | 61.06% | 21,169 | 493,084 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Keelung City | 72,562 | 32.27% | 152,327 | 67.73% | 1,701 | 79,765 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Yilan County | 123,700 | 48.58% | 130,951 | 51.42% | 1,991 | 7,251 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Taoyuan County | 379,416 | 35.36% | 693,602 | 64.64% | 10,330 | 314,186 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hsinchu County | 73,178 | 25.98% | 208,445 | 74.02% | 2,723 | 135,267 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hsinchu City | 79,634 | 35.30% | 145,930 | 64.70% | 2,036 | 65,756 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Miaoli County | 92,795 | 29.01% | 227,069 | 70.99% | 2,974 | 134,274 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Taichung County | 353,706 | 41.16% | 505,698 | 58.84% | 8,761 | 151,992 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Taichung City | 226,751 | 38.26% | 365,979 | 61.74% | 5,836 | 139,228 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Changhua County | 309,134 | 42.41% | 419,700 | 57.59% | 7,558 | 110,566 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nantou County | 109,955 | 37.97% | 179,630 | 62.03% | 2,467 | 69,675 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Yunlin County | 199,558 | 51.53% | 187,705 | 48.47% | 3,451 | 11,853 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Chiayi County | 166,833 | 54.44% | 139,603 | 45.56% | 2,936 | 27,230 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Chiayi City | 72,442 | 47.61% | 79,713 | 52.39% | 1,154 | 7,271 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tainan County | 354,409 | 56.15% | 276,751 | 43.85% | 5,614 | 77,658 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tainan City | 216,815 | 49.29% | 223,034 | 50.71% | 3,843 | 6,219 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kaohsiung City | 440,367 | 48.41% | 469,252 | 51.59% | 7,112 | 28,885 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kaohsiung County | 373,900 | 51.41% | 353,333 | 48.59% | 5,859 | 20,567 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pingtung County | 249,795 | 50.25% | 247,305 | 49.75% | 3,823 | 2,490 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hualien County | 40,003 | 22.52% | 137,604 | 77.48% | 1,970 | 97,601 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Taitung County | 29,714 | 26.68% | 81,668 | 73.32% | 977 | 51,954 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Penghu County | 18,181 | 42.07% | 25,037 | 57.93% | 363 | 6,856 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kinmen County | 1,710 | 4.87% | 33,384 | 95.13% | 172 | 31,674 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lienchiang County | 220 | 4.84% | 4,329 | 95.16% | 19 | 4,109 | ||||||||||||||||||||
MaDomestic reactions
In various KMT headquarters throughout Taiwan, celebrations of the party's landslide victory took place. The largest event was located at the Main KMT Headquarters in Taipei. Former Chairman Lien ChanLien Chan
Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005...
, Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng
Wang Jin-pyng
Wang Jin-pyng , Taiwan, Empire of Japan), Taiwanese politician, is the President of the Legislative Yuan. As one of the leading figures of the Kuomintang, Wang is considered to be soft-spoken and a conciliatory figure.-Early life:...
, Chairman Wu Po-hsiung were presented and celebrated with the large crowd. At 7:30 pm, Presidential-elect Ma Ying-jeou came out and spoke about what is expected of his new government when it begins office on May 20, 2008.
Many DPP supporters were very disappointed with the results of the election. Various DPP members went on stage at the party's Central Headquarters in Taipei and apologised to the Taiwanese people. Runner-up Presidential candidate Frank Hsieh stated that the result should be considered a blow to himself rather than a blow to Taiwan's young democracy. He pledged he would never again run for public office. The DPP leaders ended the day by bowing down to the crowd.
After a press conference on March 23 where Ma stated that he will work to open up the Three Links
Three Links
The Three Links or Three Linkages was a "message of Compatriots in Taiwan" calling for the unification of mainland China and Taiwan. It was sent by the PRC National People's Congress in 1979....
and improve cross-strait relations, Taiwan's stock market saw a large rise. The accumulated index jumped 534 points to 9049. 1100 listed companies saw their share prices rise. Of these, financial stocks all rose to trading limit levels, with transportation companies, speculated to benefit from improved relations with mainland China, also quickly reaching price rise limits. Other sectors that saw strong rises include large conglomerates, real property, electronics and technology.
PRC reactions
Consistently with its silence before the election, the PRC government refrained from commenting directly on the election results, and PRC media, which follows instructions on reporting from the government, has been very quiet as to the result of the elections. Also consistently with its behaviour before the election, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of ChinaState Council of the People's Republic of China
The State Council of the People's Republic of China , which is largely synonymous with the Central People's Government after 1954, is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the Premier and includes the heads of each governmental department and agency...
commented on the failure of the two United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
-related referenda held concurrently with the election, stating that the results showed the lack of popular support for independence in Taiwan. The Bureau also expressed optimism for the two governments to work together to maintain cross-strait peace and aid development in future. It is speculated that the mainland government would be pleased with the result.
While also refraining from commenting directly on the results, the People's Daily
People's Daily
The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English,...
, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
prominently displayed the election results, including the photos and brief biographies of the winning candidates, on its website. This, speculated Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's Ming Pao
Ming Pao
Ming Pao is a Chinese language newspaper published by Ming Pao Group in Hong Kong. In the 1990s, Ming Pao established four overseas branches in North America, each provides independent reporting on local news and collect local advertisements. Currently, only the two Canadian editions remain: Ming...
, showed signs of positive interaction between the two governments in future.
Other reactions
Singapore was the first country to send official congratulatory messages about the election results. It has since been the only country to do so together with the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. China has thus far not responded to these messages.: Known to have good relations with both Republic of China and the People's Republic of China, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for conducting and managing diplomatic relations between Singapore and other countries. It is headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the office currently held by K...
issued a statement to congratulate Dr Ma Ying-jeou on his election, saying "As a long-standing friend of Taiwan, Singapore will continue to maintain good relations with Taiwan based on our 'One China' policy.' We look forward to better cross-strait relations.": President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
congratulated Ma Ying-jeou on his election victory, saying the United States will "continue to maintain close unofficial ties with the people on Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan
American Institute in Taiwan
The American Institute in Taiwan is a non-profit, public corporation established under the auspices of the United States government to serve its interests in Taiwan...
in accordance with our long standing one China policy, our three Joint Communiqués
Three Communiques
The Three Communiqué or The Three Joint Communiqués are a collection of three joint statements made by the governments of the United States and the People's Republic of China. The communiqué played a crucial role in the normalization of relations between the U.S. and the P.R.C...
with the People's Republic of China, and the Taiwan Relations Act
Taiwan Relations Act
The Taiwan Relations Act is an act of the United States Congress passed in 1979 after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and the breaking of relations between the United States and the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan by President Jimmy Carter...
.": Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations section of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada....
Maxime Bernier
Maxime Bernier
Maxime Bernier, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
issued a press release on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade website congratulating Ma Ying-jeou and also complimented the "smooth and orderly" electoral process, "demonstrating that democracy is laying down strong roots." Furthermore he stated: "I also welcome Ma Ying-jeou’s central election commitment to improve cross-strait relations with China. This is consistent with Canada’s long-standing position that advocates for peaceful dialogue between the concerned parties."
Most other countries chose to issue general statements without specifically congratulating anyone:: German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Frank-Walter Steinmeier is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , and currently the leader of the opposition in the Bundestag. Steinmeier was a close aide of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, serving as Chief of Staff in the German Chancellery from 1999 to 2005...
stated "The German government hails the election in Taiwan. Germany supports the democratic values of Taiwan and the economic development of the island". He also said that he hoped for a "peaceful dialogue" between Taipei and Beijing.: Foreign Minister Masahiko Kōmura
Masahiko Komura
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008, and he is a member of the House of Representatives for the First District of Yamaguchi Prefecture....
says that "Japan hopes that the issue surrounding Taiwan will be resolved peacefully by direct dialogue between the parties concerned on the Taiwan Straits and that dialogue will resume soon for that purpose", while avoiding to evaluate the election results directly. He further stressed that Japan "intends to maintain Japan-Taiwan relations as a working relationship on a non-governmental basis".: Foreign Secretary
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
issued a statement on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
website saying "The successful Presidential elections in Taiwan today are testament to Taiwan's vibrant democracy. The forthcoming change of administration is a real opportunity to renew efforts to improve cross-Strait relations. I hope that the Chinese Government and the new administration will now engage in direct dialogue to resolve differences and find a peaceful solution to the Taiwan question, acceptable to the populations on both sides of the Straits."
See also
- History of the Republic of ChinaHistory of the Republic of ChinaThe History of the Republic of China begins after the Qing Dynasty in 1912, when the formation of the Republic of China put an end to over two thousand years of Imperial rule. The Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, ruled from 1644 to 1912...
- Politics of the Republic of ChinaPolitics of the Republic of ChinaThe politics of the Republic of China ,takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is head of state and the premier is head of government, and of a dominant party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative...
- KuomintangKuomintangThe Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
External links
- USC U.S.-China Institute symposium on the 2008 Taiwan presidential election (results, discussion of the campaigns, implications for U.S.-Taiwan and for cross-strait relations) http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=986, March 2008.