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Tens of millions of Taiwan’s residents lined up at poll cubicles on Saturday to decide that would reshape the island democracy’s more and more tense standoff with its far bigger neighbor, China: Who must be Taiwan’s subsequent president in harmful instances?
The voters are primarily selecting between the governing Democratic Progressive Occasion, which needs to maintain steering Taiwan away from Beijing’s affect, arguing that that is the easiest way to maintain the island safe, and the opposition Nationalist Occasion, which has vowed to increase commerce ties and restart talks with China, arguing that this may cut back the dangers of conflict. A more recent celebration, the Taiwan Folks’s Occasion, has additionally promised steps to revive engagement with China.
Taiwan’s polling stations closed at 4 p.m. native time, and native information stations promptly started broadcasting dwell video of election officers counting the ballots. The outcomes, more likely to be introduced Saturday night time, may ripple far past the island, which has turn into the only greatest flashpoint within the rivalry between China and the USA. Any shift in relations between China and Taiwan after the island’s subsequent president takes workplace in Might may intensify or ease the tensions between Beijing and Washington.
In some locations, traces started forming at cubicles even earlier than the polls opened at 8 a.m., with many multigenerational households exhibiting up in teams. Taiwanese residents should vote in particular person — no digital or postal ballots are allowed — and folks fanned out to succeed in practically 18,000 polling stations in temples, church buildings, neighborhood facilities and colleges throughout the island. Votes can be counted by hand after the polls shut at 4 p.m
“Taiwan’s election for a president and vp really impacts not simply the way forward for Taiwan, but additionally of Asia and even the complete world,” mentioned Cheng Ting-bin, 56, a trainer who had simply voted in Taipei, the capital. “Everyone knows that the world is now selecting sides.”
The race is tight. Vice President Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Progressive Occasion, has been broadly seen because the front-runner. However Hou Yu-ih, the Nationalist candidate, has narrowed Mr. Lai’s result in only some share factors in lots of polls in latest weeks.
And Ko Wen-je, the Taiwan Folks’s Occasion’s candidate, holds onto hope of a shock victory propelled by voters fed up with the 2 established events. Mr. Ko’s celebration mentioned that his rally in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, on Friday night time drew practically 200,000 folks.
In Taipei, Mr. Ko appeared together with his spouse at a college the place he voted alongside a throng of others, a few of whom had been carrying espresso as they quietly entered the cubicles to forged paper ballots.
Certainly one of his supporters, Jessica Chou, 25, mentioned she thought that the D.P.P. had pushed Taiwan too near Washington, and that she hoped the following chief would preserve a distance from each the worldwide powers.
“I’m anxious about China, however I additionally assume that we are able to’t at all times depend on the USA,” Ms. Chou mentioned, as she got here out of the college the place she mentioned she had voted for Mr. Ko. “I hope that Taiwan can discover its personal strategically advantageous place.”
Many described the solemn weight of utilizing democratic means to resolve which presidential contender ought to face their a lot bigger, autocratic and closely armed neighbor.
“I believe it’s inevitable that my technology will face extra clashes with China,” mentioned Chen Hsuan, 27, after casting her vote at an elementary faculty in Chiayi, a southern metropolis. “So I cherish the chance to vote at this time much more.”
She mentioned she voted for the D.P.P. and hoped the brand new presidency may increase ties with democratic international locations.
On Friday night time, the events every held raucous election-eve rallies round Taiwan. In Chiayi, candidates from the three events drove marketing campaign vans round a big fountain at a circle within the metropolis’s downtown, yelling slogans and urging folks to vote.
Giant crowds of supporters packed aspect streets across the circle, waving colourful banners and large balloons. The parade was festive, with candidate vans taking part in thumping membership music, and several other supporters wearing inflatable dinosaur costumes for no obvious political purpose.
Waving a small flag for the Nationalist Occasion on the rally in Chiayi, Wu Lee-shu, 60, a clothes retailer clerk, mentioned she was involved about Taiwan’s security underneath the D.P.P. “I’ll vote for the Nationalist Occasion as a result of I believe it’s much less doubtless that they’d push Taiwan to conflict,” she mentioned. “I’m anxious about letting the opposite celebration take energy, however I’ll respect the outcomes of democracy.”
The candidates have additionally debated home points comparable to housing and vitality coverage, and so they have traded accusations that their rivals engaged in shady land offers. However the difficulty of China overshadows each main election right here.
Beijing asserts that the island of 23 million folks about 100 miles off the Chinese language coast is its territory and has urged its folks to simply accept unification — peacefully, if potential; by drive, if China’s leaders resolve it’s essential. The US is by far Taiwan’s most essential safety backer, and has underneath Presidents Biden and Trump turn into extra brazenly lively in supporting the island in opposition to Chinese language stress.
The D.P.P.’s presidential candidate, Mr. Lai, is attempting to win a 3rd consecutive time period in energy for his celebration, one thing no celebration has achieved since Taiwan adopted direct presidential elections in 1996. He has promised to stay with the strategy of the present chief, President Tsai Ing-wen: protecting Beijing at arm’s size whereas looking for to keep away from battle, and strengthening ties with the USA and different democracies.
Since Ms. Tsai grew to become president eight years in the past, China has escalated army stress on Taiwan. Chinese language jets and warships often take a look at Taiwan’s army, and that intimidation may enhance, at the least for some time, if Mr. Lai wins. The Chinese language Communist Occasion has particularly reviled Mr. Lai, who earlier in his profession known as himself a “sensible employee” for Taiwan’s independence.
Mr. Hou has promised to ease tensions with Beijing, arguing that stronger ties with China — by way of commerce, tourism and public interplay — would assist cut back the danger of battle over Taiwan’s future. However even a victory for Mr. Hou wouldn’t dispel the deep political variations between Taipei and Beijing.
The winner of Taiwan’s presidential election may must take care of tough politics within the island’s 113-member legislature, which additionally goes to the voters on Saturday. Polls have indicated that the D.P.P. is more likely to lose its present majority of lawmakers, and the Nationalists could not achieve a brand new majority, presumably giving the Taiwan Folks’s Occasion a robust position within the legislature.
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