People in Taiwan have elected a pro-independence politician as its new president.
Taiwan’s Vice President and president-elect from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lai Ching-te (C) speaks to supporters at a rally at the party’s headquarters on January 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)
Current vice president William Lai, who represents the ruling Democratic Progressive Party or DPP, won the election on Saturday Jan. 13 with 40% of the votes.
This makes the DPP, which favors independence, the first party to ever win three terms in a row in Taiwan’s history.
Taiwan’s Vice President and presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lai Ching-te casts his ballot to vote on January 13, 2024 in Tainan, Taiwan. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)
Hou Yu-ih from the opposition Kuomintang or KMT party, which favors closer relations with China, came second with 33% of the vote.
Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate, Hou Yu-ih (C) speaks at a campaign rally on the eve of general election on January 12, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo by Annice Lyn/Getty Images)
And former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je from the new Taiwan People’s Party came third with 26%.
Ko Wen-je, presidential candidate and former mayor of Taipei, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. (An Rong Xu/Bloomberg)
Voter turnout was nearly 72%, about the same as the previous election in 2020, when outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected with a record number of votes.
People wait in line to cast their ballots and vote in the presidential election at a polling station in Taipei on January 13, 2024. (Photo by I-Hwa CHENG / AFP)
Speaking in his victory address in the capital Taipei, Lai said that faced with a choice between authoritarianism and democracy, Taiwan had chosen to walk alongside other democracies around the world.
Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te (L) gestures beside his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim during a rally outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei on January 13, 2024, after Lai won the presidential election. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP)
Lai’s victory comes as China – which called him a “destroyer of peace” – has increased both political and military pressure on Taiwan over recent months.
Supporters react after Taiwan’s Vice President and presidential candidate of ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lai Ching-te won the presidential election outside the party’s headquarters in Taipei on January 13, 2024. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP)
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen (C), President-elect Lai Ching-te (L) and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim attend a rally outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei on January 13, 2024, after winning the presidential election. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP)
In his speech, Lai stressed that maintaining peace and stability between Taiwan and China was a priority, saying he would maintain the status quo and was open to dialogue with China to achieve peace.
The supporters of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cheer and hold up banners during the campaign rally on January 11, 2024 in Taipei City, Taiwan. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)
He also said he would work with other parties to develop policies to address voters’ concerns, which have centered more around domestic issues such as high housing prices and low wages rather than relations with China this election.
Supporters react after Taiwan’s Vice President and presidential candidate of ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lai Ching-te won the presidential election outside the party’s headquarters in Taipei on January 13, 2024. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP)
He thanked Tsai for paving the way in the past eight years, pledging to build on the foundation she had established towards a brighter future for Taiwan.
