Polling stations closed in Taiwan after an uneventful day of voting

Taiwan elects president under threat from Chinese regime. (REUTERS/Ann Wang)

Taiwan’s polling stations closed at 4pm local time (0800 GMT) on Saturday, after a day of voting to elect the president and lawmakers ended without major incident.

You may be interested: a few days before the elections in Taiwan, China increases threats and says that the favorite to win is a “serious danger”

The 17,795 authorized centers opened their doors at 8:00 (00:00 GMT) and voting took place as normal, with the main candidates voting early in the morning.

Among the irregularities recorded during the day, the delay of a flight from Taipei to Kinmen Island, located just two kilometers from the coast of mainland China, which provoked protests from almost a hundred passengers who wanted to leave to exercise their right to immigration. vote, local media United Daily News reported.

You may be interested: Campaign in Taiwan closes for crucial elections under growing military threat from China

In Taiwan, voting is done in person, so voters can only vote in their place of residence.

However, good weather conditions predict a high voter turnout, with no doubt exceeding the 74.9% rate recorded in the 2020 presidential election.

The 17,795 authorized centers opened their doors at 8.00 am. (REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

After the schools close, the authorities will begin counting the votes, and the results are expected to be announced during the night.

You might be interested in: The moment Taiwan’s foreign minister had to interrupt a speech due to an “air attack warning” from China

In this election, more than 19.5 million Taiwanese went to the polls to elect one of three presidential candidates: the vice president of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (PDP), Lai Ching-te; the Kuomintang (KMT) candidate, Hou Yu-ih, and the Taiwan People’s Party (PPT) “outsider”, Ko Wen-je.

According to polls published up to January 2, Lai is the favorite with around 35% of the vote, followed by Hou, with 28%, and Ko, with another 24%.

“This is Taiwan’s hard-won democracy. We should all value our democracy and vote with enthusiasm,” Lai told reporters as he voted in a school gymnasium in the southern city of Tainan.

“I hope that no matter how turbulent it was during the election process, everyone will come together after the election to address Taiwan’s future,” Hou said after voting in New Taipei City.

Over 19.5 million Taiwanese were called to the polls to elect one of the three presidential candidates. (REUTERS/Ann Wang)

The small margin between the candidates, added to the significant number of undecideds (12%), increases the uncertainty over the elections conditioned by Taiwan’s relations with China.

The PDP candidate presented these elections as a struggle between “democracy” and “autocracy”, while the KMT candidate reiterated that only a victory for the opposition, more inclined to dialogue with Beijing, could avoid a “war” with China.

During this day, Taiwanese also voted to renew the 113 seats that make up the Legislative Yuan (Parliament), where the ruling PDP currently holds a majority of 63 deputies.

Located in a key seaport connecting the South Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan is home to a powerful semiconductor industry that produces microchips, the lifeblood of the global economy that powers everything from smartphones to cars and missiles.

China has increased military pressure on the island in recent years, periodically stoking concerns about a possible invasion.

China has increased military pressure on the island in recent years, periodically stoking concerns about a possible invasion. (REUTERS/Ann Wang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a recent New Year’s speech that Taiwan’s “unification” with China is “inevitable.”

As voters cast their ballots across the strait, AFP journalists spotted a fighter plane in the sky over Pingtan Island, the closest point in China to the main island of Taiwan.

The hashtag “Taiwan elections” was among the top trends on Chinese social media platform Weibo before it was blocked at around 9.45am local time (01.45am GMT).

Chinese fighter jets and warships scan Taiwan’s defenses almost every day, and Beijing has also staged massive war drills in recent years, simulating a blockade of the island and sending missiles into surrounding waters.

(With information from EFE and AFP)

2024-01-13 09:35:00
#Polling #stations #closed #Taiwan #uneventful #day #voting