2020 Taiwan General Election Saturday Jan 11,2020

Voters in Taiwan head to the polls on Saturday Jan 11,2020 to pick their next president and parliament members, in a crucial test of its hard-earned democracy that will set the tone for relations with mainland China over the next four years.
 

Taiwan lies off the southeast coast of China and was a Japanese colony from the late 19th century until the end of World War II in 1945.

Its current incarnation arose out of China's civil war, when the nationalist leaders of the Republic of China retreated to the island after the Communists emerged victorious in 1949

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has threatened to take it back by force if necessary. 

While domestic issues such as economy and identity are among the public's main concerns, world powers like Japan and the United States will be closely watching the electoral proceedings

According to Taiwan's Central Election Commission, there are 19.3 million eligible voters. Citizens are eligible to vote starting at the age of 20. 

But voters from age 20 to 23 make up only about 6 percent of the total.

Voters older than 40 make up 66 percent of the electorate


Candidates

President Tsai Ing-wen, of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is running for a second term as a champion of democracy and separate Taiwanese identity, defending the island in the face of increasing pressure from mainland China

The DPP currently has 68 out of 113 seats in parliament, while the KMT has 35. A number of seats are reserved for the island's indigenous people.

Since coming to power in 2016, Tsai has launched an aggressive pitch to countries in the Asia-Pacific region through her New Southbound Policy, with the aim of diversifying the island's economy and reducing its dependence on China.

She has also expressed her support for the Hong Kong protests winning praise from young voters, while earning the ire of Beijing.

Tsai's running mate is former Premier William Lai, who once described himself as a "Taiwan independence worker"

Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu of the pro-China Kuomintang (KMT), is Tsai's main challenger. He has pledged to improve cross-strait relations with Beijing

Incumbent Tsai Ing-wen is facing two challengers - James Soong of People First Party [centre] and Nationalist Party's Han Kuo-yu [left] - in the presidential race 

 

Likely Winner

 

Opinion polls suggest Tsai may return for a second four-year term

 

If Tsai wins by an even bigger majority than in 2016, and her party keeps control of the legislature, "it will be a strong message to Beijing that they trust Tsai and the DPP to protect Taiwan's sovereignty and prosperity