Nationalists take victory in Taiwan legislative elections

Taiwan's legislative elections ended with a landslide victory by the opposition nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party on Saturday.

President Chen Shui-bian's party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), got only 27 of the seats in Taiwan's new parliament, while the KMT secured 81 seats in the 113-seat chamber. The remaining 5 seats went to other smaller parties.

Chen, the leader of the pro-independence DPP said last week, that a win by the Kuomintang would lead to a strengthening of relations between the island and the Chinese mainland.

Chen also announced his resignation as chairman of the ruling DPP immediately after his party's defeat became clear on Saturday. He was replaced by Frank Hsieh, 61.

Taiwan will hold the next presidential election on March 22. Despite the KMT's fresh win, it is not guaranteed the party will also take the presidency. A referendum on joining the UN will also be held alongside the presidential election in March.

A new DPP chairman will likely be selected at an extraordinary meeting of the DPP Central Standing Committee on Monday, Chen said upon his resignation. He also congratulated the KMT on its victory.

Chen said he hoped that the supporters of the DPP would not be discouraged by the defeat, and called for their continued support in the upcoming presidential election. According to Bloomberg, even if DPP's Frank Hsieh were to win the March elections, he would also be likely to be more open towards the mainland.

KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou, 57, is currently the front-runner for the presidential election. Victory in March is not certain, however, with experts saying the party should now take quick action to capitalize on its win.

Emile Sheng, a political science professor at Taipei's Soochow University, told Bloomberg that the KMT win does not necessarily signal support for the party's policies, but "against Chen Shui-bian's style and personality.''

According to Sheng, many voters have been disappointed by the DPP's inefficiency in fighting corruption and guaranteeing prosperity, and some feel its actions have compromised Taiwan's future security.

Chen, who was an advocate for the party's anti-corruption policies in 2000, has also been accused of misusing funds, but escaped prosecution because of presidential immunity, Bloomberg writes.