1996 Taiwanese presidential election

Last updated

1996 Taiwanese presidential election
Flag of the Republic of China.svg
←  1990 23 March 1996 2000  →
Registered14,313,288
Turnout76.04%
  Lee Teng-hui (president 5 cropped).jpg Peng Ming Min Chu Xi Zhu Zuo Qian Shu Fen Xiang Hui .jpg
Nominee Lee Teng-hui Peng Ming-min
Party Kuomintang DPP
Running mate Lien Chan Frank Hsieh
Popular vote5,813,6992,274,586
Percentage54.00%21.13%
  Lin Yang Gang Sheng Zhu Xi (9to12).jpg Chen Lu An Yuan Chang .jpg
Nominee Lin Yang-kang Chen Li-an
Party Independent Independent
Running mate Hau Pei-tsun Wang Ching-feng
Popular vote1,603,7901,074,044
Percentage14.90%9.98%
ROC 1996 Presidential Election County level.svg
ROC 1996 Presidential Election Township level.svg
President before election

Lee Teng-hui
Kuomintang

Elected President

Lee Teng-hui
Kuomintang

Presidential elections were held in Taiwan on 23 March 1996. [1] It was the first direct presidential election in Taiwan, officially the Republic of China. In the previous eight elections the president and vice president had been chosen in a ballot of the deputies of the National Assembly, in accordance with the 1947 constitution. These were the first free and direct elections in the History of Taiwan.

Lee Teng-hui was re-elected President and Lien Chan as Vice President. Lee stood as the candidate of the ruling Kuomintang. He won a majority of 54% of the votes cast. His election followed missile tests by the People's Republic of China (PRC). These were an attempt to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate and discourage them from supporting Lee, however the tactic backfired. Voter turnout was 76.0%. [2]

Candidates

The ruling Kuomintang nominated president Lee Teng-hui in August 1995 at its 14th Party Congress after plans to institute a closed primary system by his opponents were thwarted. [3] [4] As his running mate, Lee chose Lien Chan, who had attempted to resign his position as Premier of the Republic of China to join Lee's ticket. [5] [6] Lee did not accept Lien's resignation, as Lien's potential successors to the premiership stood little chance of legislative confirmation. [7] After the election, the Judicial Yuan allowed Lien to keep both posts. [8]

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party conducted an extensive nomination process: the presidential candidate was selected after two rounds of voting and fifty public debates by the two finalists. Hsu Hsin-liang, Lin Yi-hsiung, You Ching, and Peng Ming-min contended for this position. The seventy-two-year-old Peng emerged victorious and nominated legislator Frank Hsieh to be his running mate. Peng opposed trade with mainland China unless the PRC promised to "treat Taiwan as an equal." Though he argued that the One-China policy would lead to another February 28 Incident, he took the position that Taiwan was already de facto independent so a formal declaration of Taiwan independence was unnecessary unless the PRC attacked. However, Peng rejected unification with the mainland outright, describing the notion as "suicide" and "self-destruction." [9]

Former Taiwan Provincial Governor Lin Yang-kang ran as an independent with former Premier Hau Pei-tsun as his running mate. [10] After the pair registered as candidates, they were endorsed by New Party. Both Lin and Hau were expelled from the Kuomintang on 13 December 1995. [11] They supported the One-China principle and favored opening direct links with the mainland. [12] They argued that the KMT, led by Lee, had abandoned all attempts at unification. [13]

A second independent ticket consisted of former Control Yuan President Chen Li-an for President and Control Yuan member Wang Ching-feng for Vice President. Chen Li-an, the son of former Premier and Vice President Chen Cheng, used his Buddhist background (lay leader of the Fo Guang Shan order) and stressed moral purity and honest government. He walked for eighteen days wearing a farmer's straw hat to spread his views. [14] [15]

Former Taipei mayor Kao Yu-shu declared an end to his candidacy in January 1996. [16] [17] Feminist writer Shih Chi-ching also bid for the presidency, selecting Wu Yue-chen as her vice president. However, Shih and Wu's campaign ended after the Judicial Yuan ruled against them, finding that the ticket failed to meet the endorsement quota. [18] Mudslinging was rampant between the remaining four presidential tickets. The KMT claimed that the Taiwanese mafia had amputated Peng's arm to recoup gambling debts. However, Peng had lost his arm in an American air raid on Nagasaki during World War II. [19] Independent candidate Lin Yang-kang alleged that Lee Teng-hui had been a Chinese Communist Party member, which he denied at the time, but later admitted involvement in a 2002 interview. [20] [21] The Kuomintang's website was also subject to cyberattacks. Chen Li-an criticized every other candidate for their advanced age. [19]

1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis

From March 8 to March 15, the People's Liberation Army sent ballistic missiles within 46 to 65 km (25 to 35 nmi) (just inside the ROC's territorial waters) off the ports of Keelung and Kaohsiung. This action was intended to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate into voting against Lee and Peng, which Beijing branded "absolutely identical in attempting to divide the motherland." [22] Similarly, Chen Li-an warned, "If you vote for Lee Teng-hui, you are choosing war." [23] The crisis came to an end when two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups were positioned near Taiwan. [24]

Lee, who told his people to resist "state terrorism," [25] was seen as a strong leader who could negotiate with the PRC. Because of this, many constituents from southern Taiwan who favored independence voted for him. [26] One Taipei newspaper, United Daily News reported that up to 14 to 15 percent of Lee's 54% vote share came from DPP supporters. [27]

Results

CandidateRunning matePartyVotes%
Lee Teng-hui Lien Chan Kuomintang 5,813,69954.00
Peng Ming-min Frank Hsieh Democratic Progressive Party 2,274,58621.13
Lin Yang-kang Hau Pei-tsun Independent 1,603,79014.90
Chen Li-an Wang Ching-feng Independent 1,074,0449.98
Total10,766,119100.00
Valid votes10,766,11998.92
Invalid/blank votes117,1601.08
Total votes10,883,279100.00
Registered voters/turnout14,313,28876.04
Source: CEC

Maps

Vote leader and vote share in township-level districts. ROC 1996 Presidential Election Township level (2).svg
Vote leader and vote share in township-level districts.
Vote leader in county-level districts. 1996ROCPresident.svg
Vote leader in county-level districts.
National winner vote lead over national runner-up by township/city or district Taiwan presidential election map detailed 1996.svg
National winner vote lead over national runner-up by township/city or district

Notes

  1. ↑ Lee did not lead in all township-level units.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Taiwan</span>

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is governed in a framework of a representative democratic republic under a five-power system first envisioned by Sun Yat-sen in 1906, whereby under the constitutional amendments, the President is head of state and the Premier is head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Executive Yuan. Legislative power is vested primarily in the Legislative Yuan. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. In addition, the Examination Yuan is in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants, and the Control Yuan inspects, reviews, and audits the policies and operations of the government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Teng-hui</span> President of Taiwan from 1988 to 2000

Lee Teng-hui was a Taiwanese statesman and agriculturist who served as president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) under the 1947 Constitution and chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) from 1988 to 2000. He was the first president to be born in Taiwan, the last to be indirectly elected and the first to be directly elected. During his presidency, Lee oversaw the end of martial law and the full democratization of the ROC, advocated the Taiwanese localization movement, and led an ambitious foreign policy agenda to gain allies around the world. Nicknamed "Mr. Democracy", Lee was credited as the president who completed Taiwan's democratic transition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of the Republic of China</span> Head of state of the Republic of China

The president of the Republic of China, commonly known as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The position once had authority of ruling over Mainland China, but its remaining jurisdictions has been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other smaller islands since the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Party (Taiwan)</span> Political party in the Republic of China

The New Party, formerly the Chinese New Party (CNP), is a Chinese nationalist political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pan-Blue Coalition</span> Political coalition in Taiwan (Republic of China)

The pan-Blue coalition, pan-Blue force or pan-Blue groups is a political coalition in the Republic of China (Taiwan) consisting of the Kuomintang (KMT), People First Party (PFP), New Party (CNP), Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (NPSU), and Young China Party (YCP). The name comes from the party color of the Kuomintang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Soong</span> Chairman of People First Party, former Governor of Taiwan Province

James Soong Chu-yu is a Taiwanese politician who is the founder and current Chairman of the People First Party. Soong was the first and only elected Governor of Taiwan Province from 1994 and 1998. He was a candidate in the 2000 presidential election, which he lost to Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lien Chan</span> Taiwanese politician (born 1936)

Lien Chan is a Taiwanese politician. He was the Chairman of the Taiwan Provincial Government from 1990 to 1993, Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) from 2000 to 2005, apart from various ministerial posts he had also held. Lien ran for the President of the Republic of China on behalf of the Kuomintang twice in 2000 and 2004, but both lost to Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party. Upon his retirement as KMT Chairman in August 2005, he was given the title Honorary Chairman of KMT. He is highly credited after holding a groundbreaking visit to Mainland China in his capacity as the Chairman of the Kuomintang to meet with the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Hu Jintao on 29 April 2005, the first meeting between the two party leaders after the end of Chinese Civil War in 1949, which subsequently helped thaw the long-stalled cross-strait relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premier of the Republic of China</span> Political position at the government of the Republic of China

The premier of the Republic of China, officially the president of the Executive Yuan, is the head of the government of the Republic of China of Taiwan and leader of the Executive Yuan. The premier is nominally the principal advisor to the president of the republic and positioned as the head of central government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Taiwanese presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Taiwan on 18 March 2000 to elect the president and vice president. With a voter turnout of 83%, Chen Shui-bian and Annette Lu of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were elected president and vice president respectively with a slight plurality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Taiwanese presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Taiwan on 20 March 2004. A consultative referendum took place on the same day regarding relations with the People's Republic of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annette Lu</span> Taiwanese politician

Annette Lu Hsiu-lien is a Taiwanese politician. A feminist active in the tangwai movement, she joined the Democratic Progressive Party in 1990, and was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1992. Subsequently, she served as Taoyuan County Magistrate between 1997 and 2000, and was the Vice President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008, under President Chen Shui-bian. Lu announced her intentions to run for the presidency on 6 March 2007, but withdrew to support eventual DPP nominee Frank Hsieh. Lu ran again in 2012, but withdrew for a second time, ceding the nomination to DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen. She lost the party's Taipei mayoral nomination to Pasuya Yao in 2018, and stated that she would leave the party. However, by the time Lu announced in September 2019 that she would contest the 2020 presidential election on behalf of the Formosa Alliance, she was still a member of the Democratic Progressive Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hau Pei-tsun</span> Taiwanese politician (1919–2020)

Hau Pei-tsun was a Chinese politician and military officer who was the Premier of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1 June 1990 to 27 February 1993, and the longest-serving Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces from 1 December 1981 to 4 December 1989. On 6 July 2017, Hau attended an academic meeting in Nanjing about the history of the Second Sino-Japanese War, making him the first former ROC premier to visit Mainland China since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. He died in March 2020 at age 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Siew</span> Taiwanese politician

Vincent C. Siew or Siew Wan-chang is a Taiwanese politician who served as the Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2008 to 2012. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lin Yang-kang</span> Taiwanese politician (1927–2013)

Lin Yang-kang was a Taiwanese politician. He was born at Sun Moon Lake during the Japanese rule of Taiwan. Some thought he might be Chiang Ching-kuo's successor as head of the Kuomintang (KMT), but after failing to win the KMT's nomination for president in 1996, he became an independent. Lin rejoined the party in 2005, and died in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Taiwan (1945–present)</span> History of Taiwan since 1945

As a result of the surrender and occupation of Japan at the end of World War II, the islands of Taiwan and Penghu were placed under the governance of the Republic of China (ROC), ruled by the Kuomintang (KMT), on 25 October 1945. Following the February 28 massacre in 1947, martial law was declared in 1949 by the Governor of Taiwan, Chen Cheng, and the ROC Ministry of National Defense. Following the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the ROC government retreated from the mainland as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The KMT retreated to Taiwan and declared Taipei the temporary capital of the ROC. For many years, the ROC and PRC each continued to claim in the diplomatic arena to be the sole legitimate government of "China". In 1971, the United Nations expelled the ROC and replaced it with the PRC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hsu Hsin-liang</span> Taiwanese politician

Hsu Hsin-liang is a Taiwanese politician, formerly Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). He was a supporter of the Pan-Blue Coalition from 2000 to 2008 but then supported the DPP in the 2008 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wang Jin-pyng</span> Taiwanese politician

Wang Jin-pyng is a Taiwanese politician. He served as President of the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2016, which makes him Taiwan's longest-serving legislative speaker. Once a leading figure of the Kuomintang (KMT), Wang is considered to be soft-spoken and a conciliatory figure who has often brokered deals between the KMT and opposition DPP. Due to his longevity, experience and influence in political scene, he is a widely respected figure in Taiwanese politics. He was replaced by Democratic Progressive Party's Su Jia-chyuan as President of the Legislative Yuan after a decisive victory for the DPP in the 2016 election.

The 2001 Kuomintang chairmanship election was held on 24 March 2001 in Taiwan. This was the first direct party leadership election in Kuomintang history in which all registered, due-paying party members were eligible to vote. In previous elections, only 2,000 high-ranking members could cast votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaw Shaw-kong</span> Taiwanese media personality and politician

Jaw Shaw-kong is a Taiwanese politician, media personality and entrepreuner.

Indirect elections were held for the presidency and vice-presidency of the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan on March 21, 1990. The vote took place at the Chung-Shan Building in Yangmingshan, Taipei. Incumbent President Lee Teng-hui was elected, with Secretary-General to the President Lee Yuan-tsu as the Vice President. It was the last indirect presidential election in Taiwan.

References

  1. ↑ "Central Election Commission:::Presidential Elections:::". Central Election Commission. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  2. ↑ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p558 ISBN   0-19-924959-8
  3. ↑ Copper, John Franklin (1998). Taiwan's Mid-1990s Elections: Taking the Final Steps to Democracy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 104. ISBN   9780275962074. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  4. ↑ Clough, Ralph N. (1999). Cooperation Or Conflict in the Taiwan Strait?. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 4. ISBN   9780847693269. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  5. ↑ Trenhaile, John (1 August 1996). "The New Cabinet". Taiwan Today. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  6. ↑ The Far East and Australasia 2003. Psychology Press. 2002. ISBN   9781857431339. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  7. ↑ Tsang, Steve; Tien, Hung-mao, eds. (1999). Democratisation in Taiwan: Implications for China. Springer. p. 155. ISBN   9781349272792. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  8. ↑ Jayasuriya, Kanishka (2006). Law, Capitalism and Power in Asia: The Rule of Law and Legal Institutions. Routledge. p. 233. ISBN   9781134738267. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  9. ↑ "Deserting 'Independence'". CNN. 27 October 1995. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  10. ↑ Sheng, Virginia (17 November 1995). "Lin names former premier, Hau, as running mate for March vote". Taiwan Today. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  11. ↑ Schubert, Gunter, ed. (2016). Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan. Routledge. p. 57. ISBN   9781317669708.
  12. ↑ Tempest, Rone (24 March 1996). "Defiant Taiwan Puts Beijing in Difficult Straits". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  13. ↑ Tyler, Patrick E. (22 March 1996). "TENSION IN TAIWAN: THE POLITICS;War Games Play Well for Taiwan's Leader". New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  14. ↑ Roy, Denny (2003). Taiwan: A Political History. Cornell University Press. p. 199. ISBN   9780801488054. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  15. ↑ Copper, John Franklin (1998). Taiwan's Mid-1990s Elections: Taking the Final Steps to Democracy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 106. ISBN   9780275962074.
  16. ↑ Copper, John Franklin (1998). Taiwan's Mid-1990s Elections: Taking the Final Steps to Democracy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 99. ISBN   9780275962074. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  17. ↑ Sheng, Virginia (12 January 1996). "Independents fault sign-up rules; One presidential hopeful abandons race in protest". Taiwan Today. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  18. ↑ Han Cheung (8 January 2017). "Taiwan in Time:The 'Divorce Queen'". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  19. 1 2 Lin, Jennifer (21 March 1996). "Taiwan Campaigning Has A Familiar Ring". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  20. ↑ Schmetzer, Uli (23 March 1996). "Taiwanese Exercising Democracy". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  21. ↑ Lin, Mei-Chun (8 November 2002). "Lee admits to fling with Communism". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  22. ↑ Roy, Denny (2003). Taiwan: A Political History. Cornell University Press. p. 198. ISBN   9780801488054. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  23. ↑ Crowell, Todd; Bodeen, Chris (15 March 1996). "Confrontations". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  24. ↑ Wu, Yu-Shan (January 2005). "Taiwan's Domestic Politics and Cross-Strait Relations" (PDF). The China Journal. 53 (53): 35–60. doi:10.2307/20065991. JSTOR   20065991. S2CID   145301834. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2016.
  25. ↑ Chinoy, Mike (17 March 1996). "Chinese premier urges U.S. not to 'aggravate' situation". CNN.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  26. ↑ Tyler, Patrick E. (24 March 1996). "Taiwan's leader wins its election and a mandate". New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  27. ↑ Bellows, Thomas J. "The March 1996 Elections in the Republic of China on Taiwan" - American Journal of Chinese Studies (Vol. 3, No. 2, October 1996). p. 243.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.