Taiwan's ruling party loses elections

Taiwan's main opposition party trounced the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in local government elections yesterday, in what analysts view as a no confidence vote in President Chen Shui-bian.

The Nationalists (Kuomintang or KMT) won 50.96 per cent of votes, giving them 14 out of 23 county and city magistrate posts across the island, the Central Election Commission said.

The DPP won 41.95 per cent of votes and grabbed six seats. The remaining three seats went to KMT allies.

Chen and the DPP's approval rating has dived due to a corruption probe into a subway project in the city of Kaohsiung involving the president's former deputy chief of staff.

The election loss is likely to weaken Chen's mandate in the remainder of his presidency, which ends in 2008, analysts said. Chen did not make a public appearance yesterday.

Chen has tried to consolidate his core pro-independence support base with anti-China rhetoric at election rallies, warning voters a victory by the KMT, which favours closer ties with Beijing, would undermine Taiwan's sovereignty.

China claims the self-ruled island of 23 million as its own to be brought back to the fold, by force if necessary. The DPP advocates a separate identity for Taiwan, whereas the KMT and its allies oppose Taiwan independence.

In the KMT camp, opposition party leaders celebrated their first landslide election victory since losing two successive presidential races to Chen in 2000 and 2004.

In the last city and county polls in 2001, the DPP and its allies had won 10 seats, whereas the opposition had 13 seats.

The KMT triumphed this time even in traditional DPP strongholds like Taipei County, Taiwan's biggest constituency where the DPP has ruled for 16 years.

"The people have cast a vote of no-confidence in the DPP government," Ma told a cheering, flag-waving crowd at the KMTs imposing headquarters facing the presidential office.

Conceding defeat, sombre DPP officials bowed deeply to their "supporters at a party headquarters and vowed to reform.

The failure shows people are disappointed with the DPP and dissatisfied with the government," said Chen's chief of staff, Yu Shyi-kun.

The Central Election Commission said nearly 8.9 million people cast ballots, or 66 per cent of eligible voters.