In the elections, the KMT wanted closer ties with China while the former incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wanted Taiwan to be independent. As a result of the polls, the KMT had won 72% of the seats in the 113-seat chamber. It used to be 225 seats.
The DDP had secured only 24% percent of all seats. The KMT had won 81 seats while the DPP won 27 with other parties winning 5 seats. Taiwan’s parliamentary elections are seen as a barometer for the presidential elections in March.
Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan’s president and chairman of the DDP said he was shamed in the elections. As a result, he resigned his post as the chairman of the DDP.
Taiwan is deemed a renegade province by China. China said that Taiwan should be reunified.
The reason for the cut in seats back in 2005 was to reduce corruption along with improving efficiency. However, observers say that the new system would marginalize the smaller parties. This would put things in favor of the bigger parties: the DPP and KMT.
The two parties focused on local issues and not China. China too has adopted that tactic when verbal warnings and threats of missile tests exploded in their faces giving the DPP the win.
China had also tried to get countries such as the United States and France to oppose Taiwan’s referendum of joining the United Nations.
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