Taipei: Taiwan went to the polls on saturday and is expected to elect its first female president in a historic vote likely to end eight years of closer China ties. The boisterous democracy is likely to push back against Beijing by bringing scholar-turned-politician Tsai Ing-wen to power, unseating the China-friendly ruling party. Voters are uneasy about warming relations and, as the economy stagnates, many are frustrated that trade pacts signed with China have failed to benefit ordinary Taiwanese. Tsai is the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which has a much warier approach to China than the unpopular ruling Kuomintang (KMT). Tsai is well ahead of KMT candidate Eric Chu in the polls. “I feel very proud to have this right to participate in decision-making on our future. It’s a chance to tell the world what we really think,” said finance worker Sean Chen, 31, voting in Taipei. More than 18 million are eligible to vote Saturday, many of them criticising the KMT for failing to deliver on the economy and moving too close to China. “Taiwan needs change, economically and politically. The government leaned too easily on China,” said one 65-year-old voter in Taipei who gave his name as Lee. In the KMT stronghold of New Taipei City, some voters were subdued. “I’m afraid Tsai Ing-wen is likely to get elected. You know her position on cross-strait ties – if she cannot properly handle the issues and tensions escalate, no-one will benefit,” said shop owner Yang Chin-chun, 78.
Tsai has walked a careful path on her China strategy, saying she wants to maintain the “status quo” with Beijing. But the DPP is traditionally a pro-independence party and opponents say Tsai will destabilise relations. Current KMT president Ma has overseen a dramatic rapprochement with China since coming to power in 2008. Although Taiwan is self-ruling after it split with China following a civil war in 1949, it has never declared independence and Beijing still sees it as part of its territory awaiting reunification. (AFP)
