'Regardless of results,' Taiwan set for globally-watched presidential polls

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – More than 235 journalists from across the globe are set to break news of Taiwan’s weekend election results on Saturday as around 19 million registered voters get ready to vote.

Taiwan’s eighth presidential election on Saturday is being viewed as one of the most consequential in its recent history.

The voters in the island nation of some 24 million will vote thrice – for president and vice president, and their local legislators.

Taiwan's Legislative Assembly has 113 seats, serving four-year terms, 73 of which will be decided on Saturday, six are reserved for indigenous candidates, while the rest 34 will be picked on proportional representation.

The election is a three-way contest pitching William Lai Ching-te, the current vice-president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), against the opposition Kuomintang’s Hou Yu-ih and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) nominee Ko Wen-je.

Under the DPP, Taiwan has seen more engagement with Western nations led by the US, much to the chagrin of Beijing.

Kuomintang, or Nationalist, on the other hand, has campaigned for more engagement with Beijing.

TPP’s Ko has claimed he is the only one “acceptable” to rivals Beijing and Washington.

Amid allegations by the ruling DPP of China’s interference in the elections, Taiwan has set up 17,794 polling stations where people will begin voting from 8 a.m. (0000GMT) until 4 p.m. (0800GMT).

Taiwan began holding first direct presidential elections in 1996 and the last two elections saw turnouts of 74.9% in 2020 and 66.27% in 2016.

More than a million young people will vote for the first time in this election, watched with keen interest globally amid rising competition and tensions between the US and China, which claims Taiwan as its “breakaway province.”

Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949. However, the number of its diplomatic allies has dropped to 13 since incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen assumed office in 2016.

She will hand over the office to the next president in May when her two-term office comes to an end.

Amid close competition between DPP’s Lai and Kuomintang’s Hou, China has pushed back what it called US interference in elections as Washington is planning to send an “unofficial” delegation to Taipei soon after elections conclude.

“The election in the Taiwan region is a matter of China’s internal affairs,” state media reported Friday, citing China’s Foreign Ministry.

“Regardless of the election results, it cannot change the basic fact that Taiwan is part of China, and there is only one China in the world,” said Mao Ning, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry.

Under DPP, the US has supplied arms and weapons to the island nation worth billions of dollars, with more on the way.

Taipei, however, has expressed fear of increased pressure from the Taiwan Strait with China flying military planes and balloons, and sailing naval vessels.

The results of one of the most-watched polls are expected to flow out by Saturday evening local time.