THR the election of William Lai Ching-te as president of Taiwan

THR the election of William Lai Ching-te as president of Taiwan

Date set
Feb. 2, 2024
Tournament
Penn
Topics
IR, Finals, Politics
Background slide

On January 13, Taiwan elected William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as president. Lai and the DPP are known most prominently for their support of Taiwanese independence. Runner-up Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT) promised to smooth tensions with China through trade and dialogue, rejecting Taiwan's independence. Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) focused on domestic issues such as housing and wages, and aligned closer with the KMT on cross-strait relations. The three candidates captured 40.1%, 33.5%, and 26.5% of the vote, respectively. In Taiwan's legislature (the Legislative Yuan), the DPP has lost its majority: the KMT won 52 seats, the DPP won 51, and the TPP won 8.