-
-
Shortly after its legislative elections, Taiwan held a presidential election on March 22, 2008. Former President Chen Shui-Bian was a second-term incumbent, and thus barred from re-election. The two official candidates were the Democratic Progressive Party's Frank Hsieh and the Kuomintang's Ma Ying-Jeou. Ma Ying-Jeou won the election by a large margin.
-
- Took place: March 22, 2008
- Total votes cast: 13,103,963
- Fourth direct election in Taiwan
- Incumbent Chen Shui-Bian ineligible for re-election
- Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate: Frank Hsieh
- Kuomintang (KMT) candidate: Ma Ying-Jeou
- Relationship with China was the election's major issue
- Ma Ying-Jeou won by over 16%Adam Carr's Election Archive: 2008 Taiwanese Presidential Election Results
- Ends 8 years of DPP rule
-
Major Issue
The major issue during the election was Taiwan's political status and its relations with China. Opinions on China were extremely polarizing, and two political coalitions developed because of them. The Pan-Green Coalition favors independence from China, and is controlled by the DPP. The Pan-Blue Coalition favors closer economic ties to China, and is led by the KMT.-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Taiwan Presidential Election 2008 News
- Google News: Taiwan Presidential Election 2008
- Forbes: Taiwan Dollar Hits 10-yr High After Ma's Election Victory (March 24, 2008)
WARNING: Pop-ups - China Daily: Kuomintang's Ma Wins Taiwan Election (March 24, 2008)
- CNS News: Taiwan's New Leader Seeks 'Peace Treaty' With China (March 24, 2008)
- "President-elect Ma Ying-Jeou of the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party pledged to work for warmer relations with mainland China, after defeating Frank Hsieh of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) by almost 17 percentage points."
- Agence France-Presse: Bush Sees Ma Victory As 'Fresh Opportunity' for Taiwan Strait (March 24, 2008)
- Financial Times: Opposition KMT Wins Taiwan Election (March 23, 2008)
- IOL: Taiwan Presidential Campaign Narrowed (March 20, 2008)
- Reuters: U.S. Carriers Sent Toward Taiwan Before Election (March 19, 2008)
- Monsters & Critics: Foreign Observers to Monitor Taiwan's Presidential Election (March 18, 2008)
- International Herald Tribune: Underdog in Taiwan's Election Pins Hopes on Key City (March 17, 2008)
- Asia Pacific Post: Psychics Plague Taiwan’s Polls (February 13, 2008)
- The China Post: Taiwan's Elections: Change, Continuity (January 28, 2008)
Cross-Straights Relations
- The New York Times: Taiwan Vote May Herald Closer Ties With China (March 22, 2008)
- "Taiwan elected on Saturday its first president who had campaigned for closer economic relations with Beijing, paving the way for a considerable lessening of tensions in one of Asia’s oldest flashpoints."
- Asia Times: Economic and Strait-Talk As Taiwan Votes (March 21, 2008)
- Ottawa Citizen: Taiwanese Secessionist Moves Spark Tension in China (March 20, 2008)
- Wall Street Journal: Taiwan Heads for Thaw with China (March 20, 2008)
- ABS-CBN News: Taiwan Presidential Candidate Delivers Olive Branch to Beijing (February 18, 2008)
