2012 Taiwanese presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Taiwan on 14 January 2012.[1][2] The election was held concurrently with legislative elections. It was the fifth direct election for the President of the Republic of China. Prior to 1996, the President was elected by the ROC's National Assembly and not directly by the people.

2012 Taiwanese presidential election
14 January 2012
Registered18,086,455
Turnout74.38% (Decrease1.95pp)
 
Nominee Ma Ying-jeou Tsai Ing-wen
Party Kuomintang DPP
Running mate Wu Den-yih Su Jia-chyuan
Popular vote 6,891,139 6,093,578
Percentage 51.60% 45.63%
Results by county-level unit
President before election

Ma Ying-jeou
Kuomintang

 Elected President

Ma Ying-jeou
Kuomintang

Incumbent Ma Ying-jeou was re-elected as President with 51.6% of the vote. DPP challenger Tsai Ing-wen resigned her post as chairperson of the DPP following her election defeat.[3]

Background

The Kuomintang (KMT or Chinese Nationalist Party) ticket won a landslide victory in 2008 over the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party, with a 2.2 million vote margin on 58% of the valid votes.[4]

The administration of Ma Ying-jeou has been friendlier in policy towards the People's Republic of China and also signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), a preferential trade agreement between the governments of the PRC and the ROC.

The Democratic Progressive Party was hit hard with former president Chen Shui-bian's corruption revelations, but new chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen rebuilt the party, leading to a series of victories in legislative by-elections and local elections.

One big election topic appears to be the "1992 consensus", a term describing the declared outcome of a meeting in 1992 between the semi-official representatives of mainland China and Taiwan. The KMT agrees that this consensus should be the basis for negotiations with the PRC and supports it during the election,[5] while the DPP believes that no such consensus was reached[6] and that as a policy it is equivalent to the One-China principle, which the DPP opposes. Instead, the DPP has advocated that a "Taiwan consensus" be produced in a democratic way, by the legislature and a referendum of the people of Taiwan.[6][7]

Candidates

As determined by a random draw, the DPP's Tsai-Su ticket was listed first on Election Day ballots; the incumbent KMT's Ma-Wu ticket was listed second; and the People First Party (PFP)'s Soong-Lin ticket, third.[8]

Democratic Progressive Party
Main article: 2011 Democratic Progressive Party presidential primary

Incumbent chairperson Tsai Ing-wen was the DPP nominee. She was designated the party’s candidate in April 2011 following a primary by opinion polls. Candidates for the DPP primary were Tsai, former premier Su Tseng-chang and former chairman Hsu Hsin-liang. Former Vice President Annette Lu Hsiu-lien announced her intention to run but withdrew. On 9 September 2012 candidate Tsai chose DPP secretary-general Su Jia-chyuan as her running mate.[9]

Democratic Progressive nominees
2012 Democratic Progressive ticket
Tsai Ing-wen Su Jia-chyuan
for President for Vice President
Vice Premier of Taiwan
(2006–2007)		 Minister of the Council of Agriculture
(2006–2008)

Democratic Progressive candidates
Su Tseng-chang Hsu Hsin-liang
Premier
(2006–2007)		 Magistrate of
Taoyuan County
(1977–1979)
41.15% poll rating 12.21% poll rating

Kuomintang

Incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou was standing for re-election.[10] There were no challengers within the party, so no primary was necessary.

Vice President Vincent Siew chose not to run for a second term, and on 19 June 2011 President Ma selected Premier Wu Den-yih as his running mate.[11]

Ma's campaign was run by King Pu-tsung, a former party Secretary-General.

Kuomintang nominees
Ma Ying-jeou and Wu Den-yih election rally in Banqiao District, New Taipei.
2012 Kuomintang ticket
Ma Ying-jeou Wu Den-yih
for President for Vice President
President of Taiwan
(2008–2012)		 Premier of Taiwan
(2009–2012)

People First Party

PFP chairman James Soong Chu-yu launched the party's first-ever Presidential bid on 20 September 2011. Soong stated, however, that his candidacy was contingent on the success of a nationwide signature drive, organized by Kao Tsu-min and Yang Fu-mei.[12][13] He vowed to run and keep his candidacy active through the election if his campaign garnered one million signatures throughout Taiwan.[14]

Soong chose National Taiwan University professor emeritus Lin Ruey-shiung, a career scientist and academic with no political experience, to be his running mate.

Soong contended that the Taiwanese people desire a third choice outside the two main parties (KMT and DPP), despite concerns that his decision may split the Pan-Blue coalition vote to hand victory to the Pan-Green candidate as may have happened in the 2000 Presidential election.[15][16]

People First nominees
2012 People First ticket
James Soong Lin Ruey-shiung
for President for Vice President
Governor of Taiwan Province
(1993–1998)		 Dean of the National Taiwan
University Medical School
(1993–1996)

Opinion polls
Main article: Opinion polling for the 2012 Taiwanese presidential election
Local regression of polls conducted since 2011

After initially trailing, Ma started to pick up the lead, without Soong as a candidate, after September 2011 in most opinion polls. However, Tsai benefited from the debates in the later stages.

Results
CandidateRunning matePartyVotes%
Ma Ying-jeouWu Den-yihKuomintang6,891,13951.60
Tsai Ing-wenSu Jia-chyuanDemocratic Progressive Party6,093,57845.63
James SoongLin Ruey-shiungIndependent369,5882.77
Total13,354,305100.00
Valid votes13,354,30599.27
Invalid/blank votes97,7110.73
Total votes13,452,016100.00
Registered voters/turnout18,086,45574.38
Source: CEC

Voting took place between 8:00 and 16:00 local time at 14,806 polling stations.[17] After Ma's re-election,[18] he announced that his victory had vindicated his policies in regards to cross-strait relations.[19] Tsai conceded the election and resigned from her position as head of the DPP.[20] Turnout was reported to be over 74%.[21]

Ma Ying-jeou and Wu Den-yih were inaugurated as the President and Vice President of Taiwan respectively at the Presidential Office Building on 20 May 2012.[22]

Results by administrative area[23]
Subdivision Ma Ying-jeou

Wu Den-yih

 Tsai Ing-wen

Su Jia-chyuan

 James Soong

Lin Ruey-shiung

 Invalid Total Electorate Turnout
Votes % Votes % Votes %
Total 6,891,139 51.60 6,093,578 45.63 369,588 2.77 97,711 13,452,016 18,086,455 74.38%
New Taipei City 1,245,673 53.73 1,007,551 43.46 65,269 2.82 15,215 2,333,708 3,074,849 75.90%
Taipei City 928,717 57.87 634,565 39.54 41,448 2.58 9,669 1,614,399 2,102,664 76.78%
Taichung City 792,334 52.16 678,736 44.68 48,030 3.16 9,953 1,529,053 2,018,158 75.76%
Tainan City 435,274 39.80 631,232 57.72 27,066 2.48 8,090 1,101,662 1,485,047 74.18%
Kaohsiung City 730,461 44.19 883,158 53.42 39,469 2.39 10,944 1,664,032 2,192,005 75.91%
Yilan County 115,496 44.89 135,156 52.53 6,652 2.59 2,437 259,741 358,059 72.54%
Taoyuan County 639,151 57.20 445,308 39.85 32,927 2.95 7,610 1,124,996 1,506,311 74.69%
Hsinchu County 190,797 65.76 89,741 30.93 9,599 3.31 2,176 292,313 384,261 76.07%
Miaoli County 206,200 63.85 107,164 33.18 9,597 2.97 2,600 325,561 436,219 74.63%
Changhua County 369,968 50.58 340,069 46.49 21,403 2.93 7,367 738,807 1,005,714 73.46%
Nantou County 158,703 54.63 123,077 42.37 8,726 3.00 2,165 292,671 411,482 71.13%
Yunlin County 159,891 41.67 214,141 55.81 9,662 2.52 4,348 388,042 563,034 68.92%
Chiayi County 120,946 39.04 181,463 58.58 7,364 2.38 3,052 312,825 431,588 72.48%
Pingtung County 211,571 42.93 271,722 55.13 9,562 1.94 4,571 497,426 684,517 72.67%
Taitung County 72,823 66.47 33,417 30.50 3,313 3.02 1,019 110,572 178,938 61.79%
Hualien County 118,815 70.30 43,845 25.94 6,359 3.76 1,570 170,589 263,888 64.64%
Penghu County 22,579 49.76 20,717 45.65 2,082 4.59 543 45,921 77,817 59.01%
Keelung City 128,294 59.29 79,562 36.77 8,533 3.94 1,414 217,803 302,139 72.09%
Hsinchu City 134,728 57.43 92,632 39.49 7,216 3.08 1,628 236,204 312,118 75.68%
Chiayi City 69,535 46.27 76,711 51.04 4,042 2.69 973 151,261 205,711 73.53%
Kinmen County 34,676 89.24 3,193 8.22 990 2.55 316 39,175 83,949 46.67%
Lienchiang County 4,507 86.61 418 8.03 279 5.36 51 5,255 7,987 65.79%

Maps
Vote leader and vote share in township-level districts.
Vote leader in county-level districts.
Swing between the two major parties from the previous presidential election.
Winner vote lead over runner-up by township/city or district.
Size of lead between the two tickets.

Reactions
  •  Mainland China – The State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office stated Ma's reelection proved the developments in cross-strait relations during his term is "the correct path that has won the support of the majority of the Taiwanese compatriots."[24]
  •  Hong Kong – Chief Executive candidate Henry Tang said the result reflects that Taiwanese people approve Ma's cross-strait policies, and expressed his wishes for peaceful and stable situation for economic development.[25]
  •  Singapore – Even before the confirmation of the result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement congratulating Ma[26] saying: "Singapore and Taiwan enjoy a close and friendly relationship which goes back many years [and that] they will continue to strengthen this relationship based on Singapore's "One China" policy." It added by wishing "all the parties success in working towards greater peace and prosperity, [sic] and securing the well-being of the future generations."
  •  United States – The White House issued a statement congratulating Ma and added it congratulates "the people of Taiwan on the successful conduct of their presidential and legislative elections;" also adding: "We hope the impressive efforts that both sides have undertaken in recent years to build cross-strait ties continue."[19]

References
  1. ":::Presidential Elections:::". Central Election Commission. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  2. Angella Tsai and Lilian Wu (21 April 2011). "Presidential, legislative poll set tentatively for Jan. 14". Central News Agency. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  3. "Tsai steps down as DPP chair after election defeat" Focus Taiwan News Channel. 2012.01.14
  4. "USCI Symposium on 2008 Taiwanese presidential election". USC US-China Institute. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  5. "黃金十年". Kuomintang. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  6. "蔡：無92共識 推台灣共識". The Liberty Times. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  7. "【十年政綱】一、國家安全戰略". Democratic Progressive Party. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  8. "Cna English News". Focustaiwan.tw. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  9. Su Jia-chyuan picked as DPP vice-presidential candidate, 9 September 2011, retrieved 9 September 2011
  10. Mo Yan-chih (8 April 2011). "Ma sends KMT members to claim 2012 registration". Taipei Times. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  11. Ma picks Wu as vice presidential candidate, 19 June 2011, retrieved 19 June 2010
  12. Mo, Yan-chih (21 August 2011). "Supporters petition Soong to run". Taipei Times. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  13. 楊, 毅 (21 August 2011). "橘亮百萬連署擁宋 新：50萬都不到". China Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  14. "James Soong announces Taiwan presidential bid". Asiaone.com. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  15. "Articles - The Interpreter". lowyinterpreter.org.
  16. "Asia Times Online :: China News, China Business News, Taiwan and Hong Kong News and Business". Asia Times. 4 October 2011. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. CEC finalizes two-in-one poll preparations Archived 29 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine Taiwan Today. 13 January 2012
  18. "2012年總統副總統及立法委員選舉 – 選情查詢系統". Cec.gov.tw. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  19. "Taiwan's China-Friendly President Re-Elected". Associated Press. 14 January 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  20. Wu, Sofia; Wang, Jamie; Lin, Kendra; Lee, James (14 January 2012). "Tsai steps down as DPP chair after election defeat (update)". Taipei. Central News Agency. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  21. "New York Times article on election". Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  22. "May 20, 2012 - Members of the US Navy Blue Angels separate while performing". The Economic Times.
  23. "中選會選舉資料庫網站". cec.gov.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  24. Forsythe, Michael; Sun, Yu-Huay; Wong, Andrew (14 January 2012). "Ma Wins Second Term in Taiwan Election". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  25. "RTHK".
  26. "404". Channel NewsAsia. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)

Candidate information
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