(Dan Tri) – Taiwan will conduct leadership elections and legislative elections tomorrow, January 13.
Three bright candidates in Taiwan’s leadership election (from left): Mr. Hou Yu-ih, Mr. Lai Ching-te and Mr. Ko Wen-je (Photo: Reuters).
About 19.5 million voters will elect leaders as well as seats in Taiwan’s legislature in the election taking place tomorrow, January 13.
Polling stations will open from 8:00 a.m. (local time) and close at 4:00 p.m. the same day.
The winner only needs a majority of votes and there will be no second round of voting.
For legislative elections, each voter will cast two ballots, one for his local candidate and one for another party’s candidate.
`Three horses` race
Taiwan’s leadership election can be considered a three-horse race between three political parties including the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP).
The DPP currently holds a majority in Taiwan’s legislature, with 63 seats.
The DPP advocates for an independent Taiwan and believes that only the island’s people can decide their future.
A number of other small parties also participated in the election, but had little promise compared to the three political parties above.
Candidates
The candidates competing in the race to become Taiwan’s leader include Mr. Lai Ching-te, current Deputy Leader of Taiwan and representative candidate of the DPP;
If Mr. Lai has a stance supporting Taiwan independence, Mr. Hou believes that diplomatic and economic cooperation with the mainland can help maintain peace on both sides of the strait.
Taiwan’s leadership candidates participated in a debate in a program reported live on television on December 30.
According to public opinion polls, Mr. Lai Ching-te is currently the best candidate.
China has always considered Taiwan an inseparable part of its territory under the `One China` policy.
On December 26, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that `the complete unification of the motherland is an irresistible trend` and that Beijing `resolutely prevents anyone from separating Taiwan from China by