Taiwan ruling party claims victory in presidential polls
Taiwan's ruling party claimed a re-election victory for President Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday, a result that would keep the island strengthening its economic ties to China while reducing the chances of new regional tensions.
With about 99 per cent of the vote counted, the official Central Election Commission said President Ma Ying-jeou had garnered 51.6 per cent of the total against 45.6 per cent for Tsai Ing-wen of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party. A third candidate, James Soong, once a heavyweight with Ma's Nationalist Party, had 2.8 per cent.
Ma's Nationalist Party also retained control of the 113-seat legislature, though with a reduced majority.
Ma was expected to appear before jubilant supporters who had thronged to his campaign headquarters in downtown Taipei, the capital.
"Voters used their ballots to support us because we were on the right track to push for a peaceful cross-strait relationship and to gain diplomatic space," said Taipei Mayor Hau Long-bin, a Nationalist Party member.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/01/14/taiwan-election.html
