Houston Community News >> Taiwan Votes for President

3/22/2008 Taiwan (AP)-- Taiwanese began voting early today in a presidential election expected to turn on the slowing economy and hopes their new leader will mend damaged relations with China.

The poll is being watched closely by Beijing and Washington for signs of a shift in approach after eight years of tensions under outgoing President Chen Shui-bian.

It pits Harvard-educated Ma Ying-jeou of the opposition Kuomintang, who is considered the frontrunner, against pro-independence ruling party chief Frank Hsieh.

While China's military crackdown in Tibet has allowed Hsieh to attack Ma's calls for an economic common market and peace treaty with China, analysts do not expect him to bridge the gap.

Polling stations opened under grey skies at 8am (1100 AEDT) and were to close at 4pm (1900 AEDT) today. Official results were expected within hours.

Queues formed early, with turnout expected to be around 75 per cent.

The island's more than 17 million voters were also being asked to cast ballots in two rival referendums on joining the United Nations, although neither is expected to reach the required turnout threshold.

Security has been beefed up, with 68,000 police guarding polling stations and throwing a protective ring around the candidates. Four years ago Chen was wounded in a shooting on the eve of the vote, and won a razor-thin majority.

"I think that Ma is going to win, and that the gap is probably going to be at least five per cent and as high as 10 per cent," said Clayton Dube, associate director of the US-China Institute at the University of Southern California.

"Ultimately it turns on fatigue with Chen Shui-bian and disappointment at job losses and slow economic progress.

"Basically, 'It's the economy, stupid'."

Both candidates want to open direct tourism and transport links with China that were all but cut off after Taiwan split from the mainland in 1949.

China still claims Taiwan  for itself and has threatened an invasion if it declares independence, confining the US-allied island to a murky limbo of de facto but unrecognized sovereignty.

Ma is more aggressive in proposing a radical overhaul of economic ties to allow Taiwanese companies access to the vast mainland market while permitting Chinese investors to pump funds into the island's economy.

He hopes to exploit the same malaise that propelled the KMT to a sweeping victory in January parliamentary elections over Hsieh's Democratic Progressive Party.

Hsieh also favors closer ties but is more cautious, warning Ma's plan may leave Taiwan swimming in Chinese money and Chinese laborers.

The island is the world's 17th largest economy, mainly on the back of its information technology sector, but is performing worse than many of its Asian counterparts.

Jobs and investment are being lured to mainland China, incomes are falling, and the gap between rich and poor is widening.

Ma also appears an upright character to people weary at the corruption that has tainted political life.

In an election eve rally late yesterday, Ma vowed to be "the creator of a new Taiwan" and to lead a "clean and sunshine government" free of corruption.

"Please vote for change," he pleaded, "for a better future for Taiwan which is open, prosperous and forward-looking."

Hsieh used his last rally to accuse Ma of being soft on China and ready to sell out the nation.

"Taiwan is my homeland, Taiwan is my only choice," he thundered. "Even if Taiwan becomes a second Tibet I will stay in Taiwan."

Tens of thousands of an estimated one million Taiwanese living in mainland China are thought to have made the journey over to vote via transit points in Hong Kong, Macau and Jeju island, South Korea.

The United States has two aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific on what the Pentagon calls a routine training mission, amid unconfirmed reports they would be on standby in case of any spike in tensions.

Hsieh also favors closer ties but is more cautious, warning Ma's plan may leave Taiwan swimming in Chinese money and Chinese laborers.

The island is the world's 17th largest economy, mainly on the back of its information technology sector, but is performing worse than many of its Asian counterparts.

Jobs and investment are being lured to mainland China, incomes are falling, and the gap between rich and poor is widening.

Ma also appears an upright character to people weary at the corruption that has tainted political life.

In an election eve rally late yesterday, Ma vowed to be "the creator of a new Taiwan" and to lead a "clean and sunshine government" free of corruption.

"Please vote for change," he pleaded, "for a better future for Taiwan which is open, prosperous and forward-looking."

Hsieh used his last rally to accuse Ma of being soft on China and ready to sell out the nation.

"Taiwan is my homeland, Taiwan is my only choice," he thundered. "Even if Taiwan becomes a second Tibet I will stay in Taiwan."

Tens of thousands of an estimated one million Taiwanese living in mainland China are thought to have made the journey over to vote via transit points in Hong Kong, Macau and Jeju island, South Korea.

The United States has two aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific on what the Pentagon calls a routine training mission, amid unconfirmed reports they would be on standby in case of any spike in tensions. 

(Contributed by AP)