Taiwan - January 2024
Lai Ching-te elected as Taiwan’s president
Lai Chin-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won Taiwan’s presidential election on 13 January, securing 40.05 per cent of the vote in the three-way presidential race. Hsiao Bi-khim was elected as vice president. Voter turnout stood at 71.86 per cent, slightly lower than the 74.90 per cent recorded in the 2020 presidential election.
The DPP also experienced a setback in the Legislative Yuan (unicameral legislature), losing its majority in the legislative election held on the same day. The DPP secured 51 seats out of 113, while Kuomintang (KMT) claimed 52 seats; the upstart Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) secured 8 seats; and the last 2 seats were won by independents. Voter turnout was 71.78 per cent, down from 74.86 per cent in the 2020 legislative election. Women constitute 41.59 per cent of the seats, with 47 female lawmakers elected out of 113, comparable to 48 in the previous election. Election observers noted that the electoral process was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner.
Sources: Central Election Commission, Taipei Times, Liberal International, IFES, International IDEA
