Election Fever in Taiwan

Taiwan’s voters have decided and they have clearly rejected the policies of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Taiwan’s president Chen Shui-bian was hoping that his DPP would secure at least 50 seats in the 113-seat chamber but in the end, the party ended up with only 27.

President Chen Shui-bian had challenged the DPP supporters to vote with the coming presidential elections in mind. They seem to have done so. He got the message and resigned immediately after the party's election defeat from the chair of the DPP, which went to the party's presidential candidate Frank Hsieh.

The DPP developed in the 1980s from several civil rights groups, which had formed in protest against the Kuomintang’s one-party rule. During his presidency, Chen Shui-bian has steered the country towards independence, and has thus angered his big neighbour, the People’s Republic of China.

Taiwan-US-China

In 2005, the National People’s Congress in Beijing passed an "anti-separation law", which made China’s position on Taiwan’s independence clear -- any formal declaration of independence would result in reunification by force.

But as Taiwan enjoys the protection of the United States, a conflict could lead to a confrontation between the two nuclear powers China and the US. Washington clearly has no interest in this.

So it's no wonder that Chen Shu-bian’s efforts to increase Taiwan’s autonomy eventually led to deteriorating relations between Taiwan and its most important political ally.

Rejecting the DPP

Taiwan's electorate also resented the ruling DPP for a series of corruption scandals around President Chen Shu-bian. But the election outcome particularly reflects the voters’ rejection of the polarisation of Taiwan’s society, driven by Chen’s DPP.

He tried to convince the Taiwanese to give up their Chinese heritage and to embrace their, allegedly autonomous, Taiwanese identity.

His was so determined that textbooks were rewritten and exhibits at the National Palace Museum in Taipei were tampered with. The museum holds one of the largest collections of Chinese artefacts and artwork in the world.

Beijing keeps mum

Beijing has so far kept its pleasure about the Kuomintang’s victory in check. The Chinese media only quoted some experts evaluating the outcome of the election as being postive for bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Kuomintang is considered as well-disposed towards China. Over the last years, Beijing has invited several high-ranking representatives over to the mainland, seeking their favour.

But Beijing learnt a lesson from the last Taiwanese elections not to interfere with the Taiwanese pre-election campaign -- its interference in the past continuously backfired in favour of pro-independence candidates.

Not a plea for renunification

But the Kuomintang’s victory by no means harbours a desire for rash reunification. This will remain unpopular so long as there are no signs of democracy on the mainland.

But people want moderate policies instead of Chen Shui-bian’s confrontational ones -- most of them can live with the status quo.

Until now, the Kuomintang had a narrow majority in parliament, which has now become a comfortable, two-third majority.

The presidential elections scheduled for March will show whether the Taiwanese have forgotten the Kuomintang’s iron hand during the four decades of its single-party rule. Taiwan seems to have a penchant for divided rule.