Taiwan Election has KMT Winning Key Cities

The DPP lost the Kaohsiung mayoral election. DPP had held that city for 20 years. The KMT won the central city of Taichung and in New Taipei.

Close Taipei Election Will Have Suit to Invalidate

Only a few hundred votes separate the incumbent independent mayor of Taipei Ko Wen-je and KMT’s Ting Shou-chung. 1750 votes with 98% of the votes counted [564877 to 563051]<. There will be an automatic recount because of the closeness of the vote.

Ko wins Taipei with 580,820 votes to Ting Shou-chung’s 577,566 votes, a margin of 0.23%. That’s low enough for Ting to ask for a recount (recounts are not automatic). Ting Shou-chung’s wants to file suit to invalidate the election. Ting said there were many irregularities during the entire election process and on election day. He alleged that by announcing election results starting at 4 p.m. while voters cast ballots until 7:46 p.m., the Central Election Commission may have encouraged voters inclined to vote for the DPP’s Yao Wen-chih to vote for Ko instead after seeing that DPP Yao was trailing far behind. The CEC will come under heavy criticism in the coming days for the long lines and waits voters had to deal with on Saturday.

The release of election results hours before voters waiting in line cast their votes was irregular. However, even if the election is invalidated and new Taipei election is held, how would KMT Ting Shou-chung win? Now all the DPP voters know Yao has no chance and only got 18% of the vote. DPP voters will switch to Independent Ko.

China Interference was Less Important than Economic Issues

DPP pushed the China card in the in the final two weeks of the election, accusing it of interfering with the election through fake news and social media posts, as well as funneling money to candidates through Taiwanese businesses in China, it did not strike a chord with voters, even in pro-DPP strongholds in southern Taiwan.

That does not mean most Taiwanese are open to unification or close political ties with China.

It’s just that the DPP appeals may have fallen on deaf ears because voters were more focused on local issues or generally dissatisfied with the DPP’s performance running the central government.

Taiwan 2018 Election Results

The DPP has lost seven of 13 cities and counties.

The KMT had a terrible 2016 election where they lost the Presidency.

China cut relations after the 2016 election.

The KMT is in favor of closer relations with China and has pro-business policies.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has resigned as chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party after suffering a humiliating electoral defeat. Some cabinet members will resign as well.

Taipei could go to the KMT as well. The independent incumbent candidate had a lead but the KMT candidate has a narrow lead as the last 6% of the votes are being counted.