2016 Taiwanese presidential election

none August 2020 Taiwan presidential 2012 Taiwanese presidential election 2012 2016 01 16 y中選會資料庫網站 https://db.cec.gov.tw/ CEC 29 January 2020 zh-Hant-TW 30 May 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200530022402/https://db.cec.gov.tw/ live 2020 Taiwanese presidential election 2020 18,782,991 66.27% ( 8.11pp percentage points) 130x130px 蔡英文官方元首肖像照 (cropped).png Tsai Ing-wen Democratic Progressive Party Chen Chien-jen 6,894,744 56.12% Eric Chu Chopped 2017.png Eric Chu Kuomintang Wang Ju-hsuan 3,813,365 31.04% James Soong election infobox.jpg James Soong People First Party (Taiwan) Hsu Hsin-ying 1,576,861 12.84% 230px Results by county-level unit 230px Results by township-level unit President Ma Ying-jeou Kuomintang Tsai Ing-wen Democratic Progressive Party Presidential elections were held in Taiwan on 16 January 2016. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Tsai Ing-wen with her independent running mate Chen Chien-jen won over Eric Chu of the Kuomintang (KMT) and James Soong of the People First Party (PFP). Tsai became the first female president in Taiwan, as well as in the Chinese-speaking world.Tsai Faces Three Major Challenges https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=135 22 January 2016 CommonWealth Magazine 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115181848/https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=135 live A second time presidential candidate, Tsai secured the DPP's nomination uncontested as early as February 2015, while KMT candidate Hung Hsiu-chu who won the party's nomination in July 2015, was trailing behind Tsai by double digits. Alarmed by Hung's perceived pro-Beijing stance, the KMT held a special party congress to nullify Hung's candidacy in a controversial move, and replaced her with the party chairman Eric Chu, less than a hundred days before the general election. However, Chu did not fare much better than Hung in the polls, and it was almost certain that Tsai was going to win weeks before the election. Veteran politician James Soong also announced his presidential campaign for the fourth time, making the election a three-way contest. Some 12 million voters, 66% of the total registered voters, cast their votes; this was the lowest turnout since the office was first directly elected in 1996.Tai Ya-chen Chen Chun-hua Huang Frances Turnout in presidential race lowest in history http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201601170015.aspx 17 January 2016 Central News Agency 17 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160119154047/http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201601170015.aspx 19 January 2016 Alt URL https://web.archive.org/web/20190121215128/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/01/18/2003637469 21 January 2019 Tsai won 6.89 million votes, leading Chu, who received 3.81 million votes, by 3.08 million votes. The vote difference became the second highest winning margin since the first direct presidential election in 1996.ELECTIONS: Chu concedes, resigns as KMT chair http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/01/17/2003637407 Taipei Times 17 January 2016 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115075846/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/01/17/2003637407 live Tsai also won with 56.1%, the second-largest vote share claimed by a presidential candidate since Ma Ying-jeou in the 2008 election. It was the second time the DPP won the presidency since Chen Shui-bian's victory in 2000. The DPP also won the Legislative Yuan election held on the same day, which secured a DPP majority in the legislature. Background President of the Republic of China Vice President of the Republic of China thumb|right|150px|Ma Ying-jeou, the incumbent President of the Republic of China was ineligible to seek re-election after serving two consecutive terms. Presidential candidates and vice-presidential running mates are elected on the same ticket, using first-past-the-post. Due to constitutional two-term limits, incumbent president Ma Ying-jeou of Kuomintang was ineligible to seek re-election. It was the 14th election of the president of the Republic of China since the 1947 Constitution and the sixth direct election by the citizens of Taiwan, which was previously indirectly elected by the National Assembly prior to 1996. Ma Ying-jeou of Kuomintang was elected to a second term after defeating Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party in the 2012 presidential election with nearly six million votes. However, the Ma presidency was overshadowed by the historic Sunflower Movement student protest in 2014 against the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) in which 500,000 protesters were mobilized and the Legislative Yuan was occupied by the protesters for the first time in history.Lin Adela Culpan Tim Taiwan Students Occupy Legislature Over China Pact https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-19/taiwan-students-occupy-legislature-over-china-trade-pact-vote.html Bloomberg Bloomberg L. P. 22 March 2014 19 March 2014 6 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141006091058/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-19/taiwan-students-occupy-legislature-over-china-trade-pact-vote.html livezh:群眾占領議場 國會史上首次 https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E7%BE%A4%E7%9C%BE%E4%BD%94%E9%A0%98%E8%AD%B0%E5%A0%B4-%E5%9C%8B%E6%9C%83%E5%8F%B2%E4%B8%8A%E9%A6%96%E6%AC%A1-015600492.html Radio Taiwan International 30 September 2026 陳沂庭 zh 19 March 2014 live https://web.archive.org/web/20140322073459/https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E7%BE%A4%E7%9C%BE%E4%BD%94%E9%A0%98%E8%AD%B0%E5%A0%B4-%E5%9C%8B%E6%9C%83%E5%8F%B2%E4%B8%8A%E9%A6%96%E6%AC%A1-015600492.html 22 March 2014 YahooThe 'Sunflower Movement' and the 2016 Taiwanese presidential elections 18 December 2015 https://asiatimes.com/article/the-sunflower-movement-and-the-2016-taiwan-presidential-elections/ Asia Times 4 March 2021 12 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230412173356/https://asiatimes.com/2015/12/the-sunflower-movement-and-the-2016-taiwan-presidential-elections/ live The ruling Kuomintang suffered a historic defeat in the following municipal elections in November 2014, in which the Kuomintang lost nine of the 15 mayorships it previously held. Other anti-government movements such as the White Shirt Army, a mass protest following the death of army conscript Hung Chung-chiu, and also the High School Edition protest, also hammered the credibility of the Ma government.Taiwan's 2016 Presidential Election https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2015/09/taiwans-2016-presidential-election?lang=en 9 September 2015 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115181846/https://carnegieendowment.org/2015/09/09/taiwan-s-2016-presidential-election-pub-61189 liveTaiwan's Changing Political Landscape: The KMT's Landslide Defeat in the Nine-in-One Elections Min-Hua Huang 8 December 2014 Brookings https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/taiwans-changing-political-landscape-the-kmts-landslide-defeat-in-the-nine-in-one-elections/ 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115132457/https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/taiwans-changing-political-landscape-the-kmts-landslide-defeat-in-the-nine-in-one-elections/ live Nominations Democratic Progressive Party According to internal party protocols, presidential primaries are conducted via nationwide opinion polling.第13任總統提名選舉公告 https://web.archive.org/web/20150721193842/http://www.dpp.org.tw/news_content.php?sn=4796 21 July 2015 ，民主進步黨，2011年3月17日 Registration for the primary was held between 2 and 16 February 2015. After all other likely DPP candidates- Mayor of Kaohsiung Chen Chu, Mayor of Tainan Lai Ching-te and former premier Su Tseng-chang, declined to run,Loa Iok-sin Tsai Ing-wen declares candidacy http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/02/15/2003611601 26 May 2016 Taipei Times 15 February 2015 14 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150214202525/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/02/15/2003611601 live the candidacy for the 2012 presidential office was left open for Tsai Ing-wen, the incumbent DPP chairwoman at the time and former Vice Premier. Tsai became the only candidate who registered in February 2015, and thus nationwide opinion polling that was planned to be conducted between 16 and 18 March was suspended. Tsai was duly nominated by the DPP on 15 April 2015.http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/04/16/2003616029 DPP nominates Tsai as 2016 candidate Taipei Times 16 April 2015 15 January 2019 10 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180810042140/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/04/16/2003616029 live On 16 November 2015, Tsai Ing-wen announced former Minister of Health Chen Chien-jen as her running mate, who consequently resigned from his post as deputy director of Academia Sinica. Democratic Progressive nominees 65px|center|link=Democratic Progressive Party2016 Democratic Progressive ticketwhite Tsai Ing-wenwhite Chen Chien-jenfor Presidentfor Vice President center|x200px|border center|x200px|border Vice President of the Executive Yuan(2006–2007) Minister of Health(2003–2005) Kuomintang After the landslide defeat in the municipal elections, many Kuomintang heavyweights including Vice President Wu Den-yih, President of the Legislative Yuan Wang Jin-pyng and the party chairman Eric Chu decided not to run in the race.'Little Hot Pepper' Hung Hsiu-chu seeks KMT presidential candidacy in Taiwan https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1824367/heavyweights-back-hung-hsiu-chu-seeks-kmt-presidential 20 June 2015 South China Morning Post 15 January 2019 4 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200304144159/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1824367/heavyweights-back-hung-hsiu-chu-seeks-kmt-presidential live The field was left open to Hung Hsiu-chu, the incumbent vice president of the Legislative Yuan who was also a legislator for eight consecutive terms since 1989. According to internal party protocols, presidential primaries are conducted via a combination of party member vote with 30% weighting, and nationwide opinion polling with 70% weighting.藍6/14公布總統候選人 初選仍納黨員投票 https://web.archive.org/web/20150705051216/http://news.rti.org.tw/news/detail/?recordId=183379 5 July 2015 ，中央廣播電臺 Registration and petitions were conducted between 20 April to 18 May 2015. Two candidates, including Hung Hsiu-chu;http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/04/04/2003615130 Hung to join KMT presidential primary Taipei Times 4 April 2015 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115075857/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/04/04/2003615130 livehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUea5W506UY Candidates will have 27 days to pick up registration forms 10 April 2015 YouTube 15 January 2019 8 June 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200608202322/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUea5W506UY&gl=US&hl=en livehttp://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/04/21/2003616417 KMT's Hung signs up for primary Taipei Times 21 April 2015 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115075841/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/04/21/2003616417 live and Yang Chih-liang, former minister of health, registered.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhnUNpezlUY Former Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang interested in joining presidential primary 23 April 2015 YouTube 15 January 2019 8 June 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200608202322/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhnUNpezlUY&gl=US&hl=en livehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1cwT2z3Acc Hung Shiu-chu faces public opinion poll to become KMT presidential nominee 26 May 2015 YouTube 15 January 2019 8 June 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200608202447/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1cwT2z3Acc&gl=US&hl=en live Hung garnered 35,210 signatories in her petition, crossing the eligibility threshold of 15,000 signatories; while Yang garnered only 5,234 signatories, nullifying his candidacy.國民黨總統初選僅一人通過審核 ，BBC中文 The party member vote was suspended because Hung was the only eligible candidate. Nationwide opinion polling were conducted from 12 to 13 June 2015; with equal weighting between approval rating and general election polling. Hung garnered an average of 46.20% in the nationwide polling, crossing the eligibility threshold of 30%, and was nominated unopposedly by the party congress on 19 July 2015.選戰/洪秀柱跨過防磚門檻　將獲國民黨提名 https://web.archive.org/web/20150923221720/http://www.cdnews.com.tw/cdnews_site/docDetail.jsp?coluid=141&docid=103258597 23 September 2015 ，中央日報http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201507190005.aspx Hung Hsiu-chu officially nominated as KMT's presidential candidate focustaiwan.tw 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115181851/http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201507190005.aspx live However Hung's remarks on the Cross-Strait policy sparked fears over her perceived pro-unification stance which alienated some in her own party, taking a more moderate line, as she had advocated unification with the mainland but was recently stopped by senior party members, as most on the island prefer the status quo.Taiwan's ruling party endorses conservative pro-China candidate Hung Hsiu-chu for presidential run 19 July 2015 ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-19/taiwan-ruling-party-endorses-pro-china-hung-hsiu-chu/6632092 15 January 2019 8 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181208032233/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-19/taiwan-ruling-party-endorses-pro-china-hung-hsiu-chu/6632092 liveTaiwan's KMT picks 'one-China' Hung Hsiu-chu for 2016 presidential run https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1841353/taiwans-kmt-picks-one-china-hung-hsiu-chu-2016 19 July 2005 South China Morning Post 15 January 2019 4 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200304185616/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1841353/taiwans-kmt-picks-one-china-hung-hsiu-chu-2016 live In addition, Hung was still trailing Democratic Progressive Party candidate Tsai Ing-wen in the polls by double digits. Tsai is consistently showing 40–50 percent support in the polls, while Hung's numbers are closer to those of third-party candidates James Soong. One poll had Tsai at 45 percent support and Hung at only 12 percent. The poor showing in the polls alarmed the senior party members.Taiwan's KMT Moves to Replace Its Presidential Candidate Shannon Tiezzi 8 October 2015 The Diplomat https://thediplomat.com/2015/10/taiwans-kmt-moves-to-replace-its-presidential-candidate/ https://web.archive.org/web/20151008134507/https://thediplomat.com/2015/10/taiwans-kmt-moves-to-replace-its-presidential-candidate/ October 8, 2015 live According to the reports from CNA, Eric Chu, the incumbent KMT chairman and Mayor of New Taipei, had privately urged Hung to step aside and allow another candidate to run, most likely Chu himself. In October 2015, Hung cited that Republic of China Constitution calls for "ultimate unification with China," although she added "be it in 50 years or 100 years." Eric Chu publicly responded by saying Hung's policy deviated from the mainstream and that the party has decided to call an extempore congress to consider a new candidate.Hung hits back at Chu on China 9 October 2015 Taipei Times http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/10/09/2003629634 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115075854/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/10/09/2003629634 live On 17 October, an extraordinary KMT party congress was called. The delegates voted overwhelmingly to nullify Hung Hsiu-chu's nomination. The congress also selected Chu to replace Hung as the presidential candidate of the KMT.Dumped and replaced: Eric Chu to lead ticket after Taiwan's ruling Nationalist Party kicks out unpopular Hung Hsiu-chu https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1868955/dumped-and-replaced-eric-chu-lead-ticket-after-taiwans 17 October 2015 South China Morning Post 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115132441/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1868955/dumped-and-replaced-eric-chu-lead-ticket-after-taiwans live On 18 November Chu selected Wang Ju-hsuan as his running mate, who had a background as a human rights lawyer and former minister of Council of Labor Affairs.The Taiwanese presidential election lacks political focus 15 December 2015 https://asiatimes.com/article/the-taiwan-presidential-election-lacks-focus/ 4 March 2021 12 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230412173303/https://asiatimes.com/2015/12/the-taiwan-presidential-election-lacks-focus/ live Kuomintang nominees 65px|center|link=Kuomintang2016 Kuomintang ticketwhite Eric Chuwhite Wang Ju-hsuanfor Presidentfor Vice President center|x200px|border center|x200px|border Mayor of New Taipei(2010–2018) Minister of Council of Labor Affairs(2008–2012) Nullified nominee white Hung Hsiu-chucenter|120x120px Vice President of theLegislative Yuan(2012–2016)Nominated: 19 July 2015Nullified: 17 October 2015 People First Party James Soong, Chairman of the People First Party (PFP) also announced his presidential candidacy on 6 August 2015, making it his fourth presidential bid after 2000, 2004 and 2012 elections.Veteran James Soong joins Taiwan's presidential race The Straits Times 7 August 2015 https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/veteran-james-soong-joins-taiwans-presidential-race 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115075802/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/veteran-james-soong-joins-taiwans-presidential-race live On 18 November 2015, Soong announced Minkuotang (MKT) chairwoman and legislator Hsu Hsin-ying as his running mate.Hsu Stacy James Soong chooses Hsu Hsin-ying for ticket http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/11/19/2003632807 19 November 2015 Taipei Times 19 November 2015 19 November 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151119110039/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/11/19/2003632807 live The PFP–MKT coalition became the first pair of candidates to register for the election on 23 November 2015.Lu H.H. Liu Claudia Kao Evelyn PFP to lead in registration for presidential election http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201511230029.aspx 23 November 2015 Central News Agency 23 November 2015 24 November 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151124055757/http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201511230029.aspx live People First nominees 65px|center|link=People First Party (Republic of China)2016 People First ticketwhite James Soongwhite Hsu Hsin-yingfor Presidentfor Vice President center|x200px|border center|x200px|border Governor of Taiwan Province(1993–1998) Member of the Legislative Yuan(2012–2016) Other candidates According to article 22 of the President and Vice President Election and Recall Act, presidential and vice presidential candidates not nominated by an eligible political party may qualify via a petition signed by at least 1.5% of the number of eligible voters during the preceding legislative election: a threshold of 269,709 eligible voters.Presidential and Vice Presidential Election https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055414/http://engweb.cec.gov.tw/files/11-1030-4421-1.php 4 March 2016 . Central Election Commission, Taiwan Nori Shih, former legislator and chair of the Democratic Progressive Party, declared his candidature on 21 May 2015.http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20150520/613949/ 施明德：大家不看好總統連署 我就玩給你看 Apple Daily zh 15 January 2019 23 May 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150523040557/http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20150520/613949 live However, due to the failure to collect sufficient signatories on his petition, he withdrew his candidacy on 16 September 2015.http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/09/16/2003627834 Shih Ming-te fails to meet threshold, ends candidacy Taipei Times 16 September 2015 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115075857/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/09/16/2003627834 live Hsu Jung-shu, chair of the People United Party zh 人民最大黨, and former legislator of the Democratic Progressive Party, declared her candidature on 7 July 2015, and received support from the Taiwan Progressive Party, National Health Service Alliance zh 健保免費連線, and Zhongshan Party.許榮淑參選總統　矢志用人生最後力量改造台灣 https://web.archive.org/web/20150708203337/http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20150707/642986/ 8 July 2015 ，蘋果即時 However, despite initially registering at the central election commission, Hsu and her running mate, Hsia Han-ren did not submit their petition, thus nullifying their candidacy.中央社 中選會：4組獨立參選人連署不足額 http://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/201511170358-1.aspx 中央社 17 November 2015 18 November 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151118075811/http://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/201511170358-1.aspx live Chang Dong-shan, chair of the Grand Union of National Happiness, and running mate, Lin Li-rong, chair of the Positive Party, initially registered at the central election commission, but collected only 72 signatures thus nullifying their candidacy. Independent candidates Lan Hsin-kei and Chu Hsu-fang, also registered at the central election commission, but did not submit their petition. Music professor Lin You-hsiang and running mate, Hung Mei-chen were endorsed by the Union of Taiwanese Party Chairs, and initially registered at the central election commission, but also failed to submit their petition. General election campaign After the controversial move of the KMT replacing Hung Hsiu-chu with Eric Chu as the presidential candidate less than 100 days before the 16 January general election, the poll still showed Chu trailing behind DPP candidate Tsai Ing-wen and was predicted to certainly lose. Critics said Chu over-thought his strategy and threw his hat in the ring when it was too late and being too close to the unpopular incumbent president Ma Ying-jeou.Eric Chu on a Mission Impossible https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=137 15 January 2016 CommonWealth Magazine 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115181909/https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=137 live Furthermore, Chu's running mate, vice presidential candidate Wang Ju-hsuan was mired in series of scandals, such as proposing unpaid leave, suing laid-off workers, and the "22K policy" which was blamed for decreasing young people's wages during her tenure as Minister of the Council of Labor Affairs, in addition to the ethical debate over her purchase of military housing.Taiwanese presidential election: Can KMT's Eric Chu debate his way to more votes? https://asiatimes.com/article/taiwan-presidential-election-while-heading-left-on-economy-can-eric-chu-debate-his-way-to-more-votes/ 5 January 2016 Asia Times 4 March 2021 12 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230412173303/https://asiatimes.com/2016/01/taiwan-presidential-election-while-heading-left-on-economy-can-eric-chu-debate-his-way-to-more-votes/ live Like Ma, Chu put economic growth at the top of his agenda. Chu advocated for building stronger economic ties with China, seeing that as crucial to lifting Taiwan's economy out of isolation.Who are Taiwan's presidential election candidates? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35192143 BBC 1 January 2016 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115124511/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35192143 live He also said he would work to further Taiwan's objective of participating in regional integration initiatives such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.2016 Presidential Election https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=4,29,31&post=8033 Taiwan Today 1 January 2016 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115132505/https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=4,29,31&post=8033 live Chu also proposed a "three strategy plan," a highlight of which is to dramatically raise basic wages from $20,008 new Taiwan dollars (NT) to NT $30,000 over four years.Analysis: Tsai, Chu gains limited in first round of Taiwan presidential debates 31 December 2015 Asia Times https://asiatimes.com/article/taiwan-presidential-election-while-heading-left-on-economy-can-eric-chu-debate-his-way-to-more-votes/ 4 March 2021 12 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230412173303/https://asiatimes.com/2016/01/taiwan-presidential-election-while-heading-left-on-economy-can-eric-chu-debate-his-way-to-more-votes/ live With regard to relations with mainland China, Chu said he would be in line with his party's policy to continue to promote the development of cross-strait ties on the basis of the "1992 Consensus," in which both sides insist there is "one China" but agree to disagree on what this means. He attacked Tsai for her "vague policies", especially her approach to cross-strait relations as Tsai refused to accept Beijing's precondition that she first accept that Taiwan is a part of "one China". However, Tsai had moderated her party's pro-independence stance and promised to maintain peaceful and stable relations and expressed her openness to dialogues with the Beijing government. She stressed the importance of maintaining the status quo "in accordance with the will of the Taiwanese people and the existing ROC constitutional order." On the other hand, Tsai pledged to promote greater spending on indigenous defense programs, including research and development, in order to meet the nation's long-term defense needs. On the domestic issues, Tsai called for comprehensive reform in areas such as bureaucratic efficiency, the education system, fiscal policy and regional development. She said that, above all, the country must establish a government that "puts the people first" and the "fruits of economic success should be shared fairly among all citizens." She pledged to solve the problem of unemployment rate, weak economic growth, an unequal distribution of wealth and impeding upward mobility. Capitalizing on the unpopularity of the KMT's Chu-Wang ticket, James Soong, the third-party candidate of the PFP stressed that he would seek a cross-party cooperation on sharing power if elected and sought a middle path that would bridge the blue-green divide. According to the most recent surveys, is polling at about 14%, or just five percentage point behind the KMT.Taiwan Elections 2016: Certain Outcome, Uncertain Implications 8 January 2016 https://www.asiapacific.ca/canada-asia-agenda/taiwan-elections-2016-certain-outcome-uncertain-implications Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada 15 January 2019 28 November 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181128165023/https://www.asiapacific.ca/canada-asia-agenda/taiwan-elections-2016-certain-outcome-uncertain-implications live The First Ma–Xi meeting in November 2015 between Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou and Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping in Singapore provided little political benefit to the KMT, affirming how most Taiwanese do not view closer relations with China to be beneficial to Taiwan. Debates + Debates among candidates for the 2016 presidential electionNo. Date Time Host Participants 1 26 December 2015 2 p.m. SET NewsChen Chien-jenWang Ju-hsuanHsu Hsin-ying 2 27 December 2015 2 p.m. Public Television ServiceTsai Ing-wenEric ChuJames Soong 3 2 January 2016 2 p.m. SET NewsTsai Ing-wenEric ChuJames Soong Opinion polls 2016 Taiwanese presidential opinion pollings.svg 1000px Local regression of polls conducted since 2015 Polling organisation Date(s)administered Eric ChuKMT Tsai Ing-wenDPP James SoongPFP UndecidedNationwideDecision Making Research24 August 201525.5%41.2%15.0%18.3%Kuomintang14 September 201533%43%13%11%Apple Daily6 October 201529.28%40.92%15.07%14.73%Television Broadcasts Satellite7 October 201529%48%10%13%Decision Making Research7 October 201519.0%42.1%14.1%24.8%Taiwan Indicators Survey Research13 October 201521.0%44.6%12.0%22.4%Apple Daily16 October 201526.23%45.47%12.63%15.67%Fades Survey Research16 October 201517.17%40.18%22.39%17.72%Liberty Times17 October 201518.91%47.04%7.86%26.19%Decision Making Research17 October 201521.9%45.2%13.8%19.1%Trend Survey Research17 October 201520.7%41.6%10.1%27.6%TVBS19 October 201529%46%10%15%China Times22 October 201521.8%38.9%8.8%30.5%People First Party24 October 201517%40%23%20%Taiwan Indicators Survey Research12 November 201520.4%46.2%10.4%13%Shih Hsin University Research27 November 201518.4%44.5%6.8%30.3%SET News6 December 201515.7%44.9%13.7%25.7%TVBS13 December 201522%45%10%23%New Taipei CityTelevision Broadcasts Satellite15 October 201531%47%14%7%New Taipei City 6th ConstituencyNext Television21 October 201520.9%49.8%8.1%21.2%Hsinchu CityFocus Survey Research20 October 201521.0%46.7%12.9%19.4%Taichung CityKuomintang15 October 201512.8%41.4%8.4%37.4% Chou Tzu-yu flag incident Tzuyu Incident On 15 January 2016, one day before the election, Chou Tzu-yu, a 16-year-old Taiwanese singer and a member of the South Korean K-pop girl group Twice, attracted attention with her appearance in a South Korean variety show called My Little Television, in which she introduced herself as Taiwanese and waved the flag of the Republic of China alongside that of South Korea. Japan's flag was also shown as the other members of the group represented their nationality throughout the show. However, soon after the episode was broadcast it sparked controversy in China when Taiwanese-born China-based singer Huang An accused Chou of being a "pro-Taiwanese independence activist". 16-year-old K-pop singer waves Taiwan flag, forced to cancel China activities http://shanghaiist.com/2016/01/16/16-year-old_k-pop_singer_tzuyu.php Shanghaiist 22 January 2016 20 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160120090112/http://shanghaiist.com/2016/01/16/16-year-old_k-pop_singer_tzuyu.php live After the uproar over the issue, the group's record label, JYP Entertainment cancelled all activities of the group in China and released a video where Chou is shown reading an apology, all this the day before the election. http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/01/16/pop_star_may_have_helped_pro_independence_party_win_taiwan_presidency.html Did a 16-Year-Old Pop Star Help Pro-Independence Party Win Taiwan's Election? Daniel Politi Slate 21 January 2016 7 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160207220632/http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/01/16/pop_star_may_have_helped_pro_independence_party_win_taiwan_presidency.html live She mentioned in part: "There is only one China. The two sides of the [Taiwan] Strait are one entity. I feel proud being a Chinese. I, as a Chinese, have hurt the company and netizens' feelings due to my words and actions during overseas promotions. I feel very, very sorry and also very guilty." Singer's Apology for Waving Taiwan Flag Stirs Backlash of Its Own https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/world/asia/taiwan-china-singer-chou-tzu-yu.html The New York Times 2016-01-16 2016-01-22 0362-4331 Chris Buckley Austin Ramzy 17 October 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191017085002/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/world/asia/taiwan-china-singer-chou-tzu-yu.html live Nevertheless, critics saw her apology as "humiliating and a sign of Taiwan's predicament that Chou had to apologize for expressing her Taiwanese identity and for showing her nation's flag." Tsai in her victory speech also mentioned how it had "angered many Taiwanese people, regardless of their political affiliation." And although it was believed by many that this incident affected the election, contributing to one or two percentage points of Tsai's winning margin, Taiwan election: How a penitent pop star may have helped Tsai win – BBC News BBC News 18 January 2016 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35340530 21 January 2016 en-GB 25 December 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201225121808/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35340530 live it was thought that the issue probably had a very minor impact on the final outcome since most believed that people would have voted for Tsai anyway. Twenty-Somethings in Taiwan and the Country's First Female President http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/twenty-somethings-in-taiwan-and-the-countrys-first-female-president The New Yorker 20 January 2016 22 January 2016 0028-792X Hua Hsu 22 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160122093042/http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/twenty-somethings-in-taiwan-and-the-countrys-first-female-president live Results Results of the 2016 Taiwanese presidential election Democratic Progressive Party Tsai Ing-wen Chen Chien-jen 6894744 Kuomintang Eric Chu Wang Ju-hsuan 3813365 People First Party James Soong Hsu Hsin-ying 1576861 163332 18782991 CEC By administrative division SubdivisionElectorate123InvalidTurnoutMarginEric ChuTsai Ing-wen 20x20pxJames Soong Wang Ju-hsuan Chen Chien-jen 20x20px Hsu Hsin-ying Votes % Votes % Votes % Taipei City 2,175,986 546,491 37.49% 757,383 51.96% 153,804 10.55% 22,540 68.03% 210,892 New Taipei City 3,204,367 709,374 33.34% 1,165,888 54.79% 252,486 11.87% 26,481 67.23% 456,514 Keelung City 306,548 68,357 35.29% 93,402 48.22% 31,955 16.49% 2,432 63.99% 25,045 Yilan County 369,211 59,216 25.38% 144,798 62.06% 29,288 12.56% 3,188 64.05% 85,582 Taoyuan City 1,627,598 369,013 34.39% 547,573 51.03% 156,518 14.58% 11,898 66.66% 178,560 Hsinchu County 412,731 94,603 35.28% 114,023 42.52% 59,510 22.20% 3,803 65.89% 19,420 Hsinchu City 328,580 71,771 32.42% 113,386 51.22% 36,198 16.35% 3,138 68.32% 41,615 Miaoli County 448,520 107,779 37.55% 130,461 45.45% 48,788 17.00% 3,652 64.81% 22,682 Taichung City 2,138,519 430,005 29.82% 793,281 55.01% 218,810 15.17% 19,800 68.36% 363,276 Changhua County 1,022,962 193,117 28.80% 378,736 56.47% 98,807 14.73% 10,921 66.63% 185,619 Nantou County 415,122 83,604 32.08% 136,104 52.23% 40,868 15.69% 3,649 63.65% 52,500 Yunlin County 566,207 86,047 24.93% 218,842 63.41% 40,236 11.66% 4,997 61.84% 132,795 Chiayi County 430,885 65,425 23.38% 182,913 65.37% 31,469 11.25% 4,295 65.93% 117,488 Chiayi City 210,758 38,822 27.95% 83,143 59.86% 16,926 12.19% 1,492 66.61% 44,321 Tainan City 1,528,246 219,196 22.07% 670,608 67.52% 103,432 10.41% 12,457 65.81% 451,412 Kaohsiung City 2,254,324 391,823 26.00% 955,168 63.39% 159,765 10.61% 18,117 67.64% 563,345 Pingtung County 689,170 121,291 26.99% 285,297 63.49% 42,768 9.52% 5,595 66.01% 164,006 Taitung County 179,547 43,581 44.62% 37,517 38.41% 16,565 16.96% 1,208 55.07% -6,064 Hualien County 267,862 73,894 47.72% 57,198 36.94% 23,751 15.34% 2,342 58.68% -16,696 Penghu County 84,222 12,564 29.48% 21,658 50.81% 8,401 19.71% 643 51.37% 9,094 Kinmen County 111,386 24,327 66.10% 6,626 18.00% 5,852 15.90% 599 33.58% -17,701 Lienchiang County 10,240 3,065 68.60% 739 16.54% 664 14.86% 85 44.46% -2,326 Source: CEC Overview Table CEC Visual Query Maps right|300px Result right|300px Tsai Ing-wen right|300px Chu Li-luan right|300px Soong Chu-yuResult by County level right|300px Result right|300px Tsai Ing-wen right|300px Chu Li-luan right|300px Soong Chu-yuResult by Township level 250px|thumb|Vote leader and vote share in township-level districts.250px|thumb|Vote leader in county-level districts.250px|thumb|Swing between the two major parties from the previous presidential election.250px|thumb|Winner vote lead over runner-up by township/city or district.The third-place ticket led in some township-level units.250px|thumb|Size of lead between the two tickets. Aftermath The defeated candidate Eric Chu resigned as the KMT Chairman in his concession speech on the election night. KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin also announced he was stepping down after his defeat in the legislative election.KMT's head Eric Chu, deputy head Hau Lung-bin step down 16 January 2016 http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201601160025.aspx Focus Taiwan 15 January 2019 5 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190105145344/http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201601160025.aspx live In the March chairmanship election, the ousted presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu was elected as the first female party chair.Taiwan's ousted presidential nominee Hung Hsiu-chu elected as Kuomintang's first woman leader https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1931047/hung-hsiu-chu-elected-first-woman-leader-kuomintang 27 March 2016 South China Morning Post 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115132443/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1931047/hung-hsiu-chu-elected-first-woman-leader-kuomintang live Following the electoral defeat of the ruling KMT, the cabinet led by President of the Executive Yuan Mao Chi-kuo resigned en masse immediately. His position was assumed by Vice Premier Simon Chang. President Ma Ying-jeou offered the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to form a Cabinet before its president-elect Tsai Ing-wen is sworn in on 20 May, but the offer was rejected by Tsai.Entire Cabinet offers to resign for poor results http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/01/19/2003637526 19 January 2016 Taipei Times 15 January 2019 15 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190115075854/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/01/19/2003637526 live Tsai became the first female president in Taiwan, as well as the Chinese-speaking world when she was sworn in at the Presidential Building on 20 May 2016. See also 2016 Kuomintang chairmanship election 2017 Kuomintang chairmanship election Notes References External links Government websites Central Election Commission Central Election Commission – Election Results https://web.archive.org/web/20181126164215/http://vote2016.cec.gov.tw/zh_TW/index.html 26 November 2018 Candidates' websites Eric Chu: ONE Taiwan 台灣就是力量 Tsai Ing-wen: 點亮台灣 Light up Taiwan James Soong: 一起找出路 President Category:Presidential elections in Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan