Number: RS22853
Title: Taiwan's 2008 Presidential Election
Authors: Kerry Dumbaugh, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division 
Abstract: In a large turnout on March 22, 2008, voters in Taiwan elected as president Mr. Ma Ying-jeou of the Nationalist (KMT) Party. Mr. Ma out-polled rival candidate Frank Hsieh, of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), by a 2.2 million vote margin of 58% to 42%. Coming on the heels of the KMT's sweeping victory in January's legislative elections, the result appears to be a further repudiation of DPP leader and Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's eight-year record of emphasizing a pro-independence political agenda at the expense of economic issues. President-elect Ma, who will begin his tenure on May 20, 2008, has promised to improve Taiwan's economic performance, to improve Taiwan's damaged relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), and to address any annoyances in Taiwan-U.S. relations arising from the Chen Administration.
Pages: 6
Date: April 10, 2008