1977 Taiwanese local elections

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1977 Taiwanese local elections
Flag of the Republic of China.svg
 197319 November 1977 (1977-11-19) 1981  

All 20 mayors/magistrates of cities, counties
Turnout80.39%
 Majority partyMinority party
  Di 7Ren Zong Tong Jiang Jing Guo Xian Sheng Yu Zhao .jpg
Leader Chiang Ching-kuo None
Party Kuomintang Independent
Popular vote4,150,4601,742,124
Percentage70.44%29.56%
Mayors/
Magistrates
154

1977ROCCounty.svg
  Kuomintang
  Independents
  Not up for election (Taipei)

Local elections were held in Taiwan on 19 November 1977, electing 20 magistrates and mayors in the country, 77 members of the Taiwan Provincial Council, and members of the Taipei and Kaohsiung City Council.

Contents

Seen as one of the most competitive local polls with crowded field of candidates, the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) was especially focusing on the bitter races in Tainan City, and the counties of Kaohsiung, Nantou, and Taoyuan.

The Kuomintang was accused of rigging the election in Taoyuan after the popular opposition was poised to fend off challenge by KMT's candidate, provoking widespread anger in the county and led to the crackdown on protest, later known as the Zhongli incident.

Provincial election

PartyVotes%Seats
Kuomintang56
Independents21
Total77
Valid votes5,939,03895.80
Invalid/blank votes260,1804.20
Total votes6,199,218100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,713,73680.37
KMT Ind Turnout (%)
Taipei County 5276.50
Yilan County 1178.13
Taoyuan County 4184.23
Hsinchu County 2182.96
Miaoli County 2178.44
Taichung County 3285.62
Changhua County 4183.42
Nantou County 2179.15
Yunlin County 3275.53
Chiayi County 4175.77
Tainan County 4179.23
Kaohsiung County 4182.47
Pingtung County 3181.72
Taitung County 177.27
Hualien County 177.46
Penghu County 179.04
Keelung City 177.12
Taichung City 2181.55
Tainan City 2185.56
Kaohsiung City 3280.94
Plains Indigenous (North) 177.39
Plains Indigenous (South) 174.40
Mountain Indigenous 292.12

Source: [1]

Mayoral and magisterial elections

Taipei

Magistrate of Taipei
CandidatePartyVotes%
邵恩新 Kuomintang 519,09974.76
廖銘義Independent90,49113.03
李歸坵Independent68,7119.90
盧霖Independent16,0232.31
Total694,324100.00
Valid votes694,32496.33
Invalid/blank votes26,4313.67
Total votes720,755100.00
Registered voters/turnout944,43876.32

Keelung

Mayor of Keelung
CandidatePartyVotes%
陳正雄 Kuomintang 77,17256.74
張金鐘Independent54,74240.25
陳榮強Independent4,0973.01
Total136,011100.00
Valid votes136,01196.85
Invalid/blank votes4,4273.15
Total votes140,438100.00
Registered voters/turnout182,41676.99

Yilan

Magistrate of Yilan
CandidatePartyVotes%
李鳳鳴 Kuomintang 151,93586.61
許仁修Independent23,49613.39
Total175,431100.00
Valid votes175,43196.67
Invalid/blank votes6,0483.33
Total votes181,479100.00
Registered voters/turnout221,59781.90

Taoyuan

Provincial Councillor Hsu Hsin-liang expressed interest in Taoyuan poll, but was not nominated by the ruling Kuomintang for being critical of the government. Instead the party nominated 歐憲瑜, an official in the Ministry of Judicial Administration. Hsu nevertheless entered the race, and was subsequently expelled from the party a month before voting.[ citation needed ]

On the voting day, some ballot papers in Zhongli city were damaged by the poll workers. Voters reported to the police but was largely ignored. Worse still, the police escorted the officials. The furious public soon marched to the police station and demanded a recount. The confrontation, later known as Zhongli Incident, resulted in two deaths after being hit by police's bullet and teargas. It was regarded as the first mass demonstration against election manipulation by the authoritarian regime. Hsu was elected with a majority of around 90,000 votes.[ citation needed ]

Magistrate of Taoyuan
CandidatePartyVotes%
Hsu Hsin-liang Independent235,94661.48
歐憲瑜 Kuomintang 147,85138.52
Total383,797100.00
Valid votes383,79797.23
Invalid/blank votes10,9152.77
Total votes394,712100.00
Registered voters/turnout468,95084.17

Hsinchu

Magistrate of Hsinchu
CandidatePartyVotes%
林保仁 Kuomintang 243,458100.00
Total243,458100.00
Valid votes243,45886.99
Invalid/blank votes36,42513.01
Total votes279,883100.00
Registered voters/turnout338,61682.65

Miaoli

Magistrate of Miaoli
CandidatePartyVotes%
邱文光 Kuomintang 150,22469.25
張榮顯Independent66,70630.75
Total216,930100.00
Valid votes216,93095.81
Invalid/blank votes9,4844.19
Total votes226,414100.00
Registered voters/turnout288,74578.41

Taichung

Magistrate of Taichung
CandidatePartyVotes%
陳孟鈴 Kuomintang 242,74064.32
楊順隆Independent134,64035.68
Total377,380100.00
Valid votes377,38092.56
Invalid/blank votes30,3297.44
Total votes407,709100.00
Registered voters/turnout476,22485.61

Chen Tuan-tang, Kuomintang's incumbent Taichung Mayor, faced increasing attack over the bribery and financial mismanagement scandal of the city's government. The local "Chang faction" was also angered by Chen's decision to grant bus franchises, effectively ending the monopoly of transportation. Despite the local resistance, KMT chose Chen for re-election instead of the candidate from another powerful local tribe of Lai. [2]

For the Tangwai bloc, City Councillor Tzeng Wen-po (曾文坡) was selected after his rival gave way and ran for Provincial Councillor instead. [2]

Tzeng eventually won the election by surprise, with a mere 1,100 votes. The disappointment by the local factions was considered to be the major reason. [2] However, there were accusations of fraud as Tzeng's campaign first anticipated a lead of 10,000 votes, and that the officials delayed the counting of several ballot boxes until Tangwai supporters blocked the city office and the outbreak of Zhongli Incident. [3]

Mayor of Taichung
CandidatePartyVotes%
Tzeng Wen-poIndependent119,61350.22
陳端堂 Kuomintang 118,57149.78
Total238,184100.00
Valid votes238,18496.72
Invalid/blank votes8,0903.28
Total votes246,274100.00
Registered voters/turnout320,06576.94

Changhua

Magistrate of Changhua
CandidatePartyVotes%
吳榮興 Kuomintang 308,33365.25
張春男Independent164,22634.75
Total472,559100.00
Valid votes472,55994.89
Invalid/blank votes25,4715.11
Total votes498,030100.00
Registered voters/turnout597,26083.39

Nantou

Magistrate of Nantou
CandidatePartyVotes%
劉裕猷 Kuomintang 207,655100.00
Total207,655100.00
Valid votes207,65594.27
Invalid/blank votes12,6265.73
Total votes220,281100.00
Registered voters/turnout277,59679.35

Yunlin

Magistrate of Yunlin
CandidatePartyVotes%
林恒生 Kuomintang 173,68756.97
黃蔴Independent131,16343.03
Total304,850100.00
Valid votes304,85094.90
Invalid/blank votes16,3845.10
Total votes321,234100.00
Registered voters/turnout425,48975.50

Chiayi

Magistrate of Chiayi
CandidatePartyVotes%
涂德錡 Kuomintang 221,77467.99
謝明陽Independent104,39332.01
Total326,167100.00
Valid votes326,16795.28
Invalid/blank votes16,1624.72
Total votes342,329100.00
Registered voters/turnout451,62775.80

Tainan

A total of 13 hopefuls battled for Kuomintang's nomination, the most across the country, which included Yang Pao-fa (楊寶發), a minister in Taipei City administration and Lee Ya-chiao (李雅樵), the Provincial Councillor with the backing of local camps. Although Lee earned more popularity in the grassroots, Yang, a young and loyal party agent, was nominated by the party. [4]

While rumours said Lee and others might try to sabotage Yang's anticipated walkover, he was the only official candidate in the election. With the support from the "mountain faction" and the acquiescence from the "sea faction", Yang faced no significant obstacles and was elected in the unopposed race. [4]

Magistrate of Tainan
CandidatePartyVotes%
Yang Pao-fa Kuomintang 386,738100.00
Total386,738100.00
Valid votes386,73893.46
Invalid/blank votes27,0556.54
Total votes413,793100.00
Registered voters/turnout522,68279.17

Chang Li-tang (張麗堂) secured the party's nomination to run for re-election as Tainan Mayor, while the Tangwai was represented by Su Nan-cheng, stagging a re-run of the last election. [5]

Su was also supported by 蔡介雄, a Provincial Councillor who was no longer acquiesced his campaign for another term by the party because of his strong stance on social issues and as a tactic to split the opposition's vote. [6] [7] Branded "democracy fighter", 蔡介雄 ran for re-election and backed Su in mayoral election. The two rallied for government-friendly and anti-KMT's support respectively. [2]

During the canvassing, KMT's local branch denounced Su as a separatist and communist, which was rebuked by the leading candidate and strengthened the anti-government sentiments. [2] The one-party authorities also called on the soldier to vote for party's candidate. [8]

Chang's team believed the victory is secured, but as vote counting progressed, the lead by Su became clearer. However sudden blackouts were reported in a dozen of voting booths with counting slowed down, a common practice for rigging the election. With the growing fury by the public, the power supply and vote counting later resumed, and Su's advantageous position was maintained. [2] Su later said he resolutely demanded the authorities to abide the law and continue the vote counting, or face whatever consequences that may happen. [9]

Mayor of Tainan
CandidatePartyVotes%
Su Nan-cheng Independent131,50453.65
Chang Li-tang Kuomintang 113,62746.35
Total245,131100.00
Valid votes245,13197.63
Invalid/blank votes5,9402.37
Total votes251,071100.00
Registered voters/turnout293,47685.55

Kaohsiung

Early results showed the election was too close to call with the independent 黃友仁 leading with around 4,000 votes only. As Kuomintang stronghold started counting the ballots, the Tangwai believed the defeat is imminent. Still, supporters of the opposition travelled to the stronghold to supervise the vote count to avoid any electoral fraud. [9] At the end 黃友仁 beat Kuomintang with less than 2,000 votes, which prominent opposition figure Yu Teng-fa said the supervising was critical as it prevented the authorities from stuffing KMT's ballots. [10] Yu also believed the majority should be much larger, at 60,000-some votes. [9]

Magistrate of Kaohsiung
CandidatePartyVotes%
黃友仁Independent204,78250.33
王正和 Kuomintang 202,11649.67
Total406,898100.00
Valid votes406,89896.38
Invalid/blank votes15,2773.62
Total votes422,175100.00
Registered voters/turnout511,90582.47

In the city of Kaohsiung, the incumbent 王玉雲 had his majority shrunk from more than ten thousand to around 4,000, most of those are from the strongholds such as relatives of soldier and civil servants. [2]

Mayor of Kaohsiung
CandidatePartyVotes%
王玉雲 Kuomintang 236,98455.30
洪照男Independent191,59144.70
Total428,575100.00
Valid votes428,57597.16
Invalid/blank votes12,5342.84
Total votes441,109100.00
Registered voters/turnout545,55580.86

Pingtung

Magistrate of Pingtung
CandidatePartyVotes%
柯文福 Kuomintang 354,231100.00
Total354,231100.00
Valid votes354,23192.84
Invalid/blank votes27,3377.16
Total votes381,568100.00
Registered voters/turnout464,38282.17

Taitung

Magistrate of Taitung
CandidatePartyVotes%
Chiang Sheng-ai Kuomintang 107,865100.00
Total107,865100.00
Valid votes107,86595.27
Invalid/blank votes5,3554.73
Total votes113,220100.00
Registered voters/turnout145,29677.92

Hualian

Magistrate of Hualian
CandidatePartyVotes%
吳水雲 Kuomintang 143,353100.00
Total143,353100.00
Valid votes143,35396.39
Invalid/blank votes5,3743.61
Total votes148,727100.00
Registered voters/turnout187,96979.12

Penghu

Kuomintang Central Committee nominated 謝有溫 rather than a party official who was endorsed by the local party and the headquarter's nomination committee, after the Chief of Staff favoured 謝有溫 from the military due to the strategic location of Penghu. [11]

Magistrate of Taitung
CandidatePartyVotes%
謝有溫 Kuomintang 43,047100.00
Total43,047100.00
Valid votes43,04794.92
Invalid/blank votes2,3035.08
Total votes45,350100.00
Registered voters/turnout57,36179.06

Source: [1]

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