Taiwan Election: Ruling DPP's Lai Ching-te Wins Presidential Polls

Lai was up against two opponents for the presidency - Hou Yu-ih of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT), and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of the small Taiwan People's Party (TPP).

Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, Lai Ching-te

Source : Getty

Ruling party DPP's candidate Lai Ching-te emerges victorious in Taiwan presidential election as opposition concedes, PTI reported, citing news agency AP. Lai was up against two opponents for the presidency - Hou Yu-ih of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT), and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of the small Taiwan People's Party (TPP), founded in 2019.

Ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te emerges victorious in Taiwan presidential election as opposition concedes, reports AP

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 13, 2024

The counting of votes for Taiwan's Presidential and Parliamentary elections began on Saturday. China had framed it as a choice between war and peace. Taiwan's defence ministry said that it had again spotted Chinese balloons crossing the sensitive strait, one of which flew over Taiwan itself.

The current ruling party in Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which champions Taiwan's separate identity while rejecting China's territorial claims, got a third term. Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te earlier encouraged people to cast their votes.

Ahead of the polls, Beijing repeatedly denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist. It has also rebuffed his repeated calls for talks. However, Lai continued to be firm on his stance that he is committed to preserving peace across the Taiwan Strait and boosting the island's defences.

On Wednesday, China warned Taiwan’s voters to “make the right choice at the crossroads of cross-strait relations” while railing against the ruling DPP.

President Xi Jinping has previously described the presidential poll on the self-governing island as a choice between “war and peace”, IANS reported, citing the BBC. He further called Taiwan’s unification with the mainland “a historical inevitability.”

Just hours before polling began, China's Defence Ministry vowed to take "all necessary measures to crush any forms of secessionist designs for Taiwan independence".