All politics is local, and Saturday’s midterm elections in Taiwan mostly turned on local issues such as food safety, stagnant wages, education and infrastructure. But one factor behind the landslide victory of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party is rising fear that Taiwan’s de facto independence is threatened by the island’s increasing economic ties to China. As Taiwan moves toward presidential elections in January 2016, expect tensions to rise across the Taiwan Strait.
Saturday’s results give the DPP control of some two-thirds of Taiwan’s 22 cities and counties, including four of its six special municipalities. Taipei’s mayor-elect is a DPP-backed independent, so for the first time in 16 years the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), won’t govern the island’s capital and largest city. Taiwan’s last three presidents previously served as mayor of Taipei.
The KMT was quick to admit defeat. “I have heard [voters’] voices and I will not evade my responsibility to start reform,” said President Ma Ying-jeou, who may resign as KMT chairman at a party meeting Wednesday.
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