1996 Taiwanese presidential election explained

Country:Taiwan
Type:presidential
Registered:14,313,288
Turnout:76.04%
Previous Election:1990 Taiwanese presidential election
Previous Year:1990
Next Election:2000 Taiwanese presidential election
Next Year:2000
Election Date:23 March 1996
Image1:李登輝總統玉照 (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:Lee Teng-hui
Party1:Kuomintang
Running Mate1:Lien Chan
Popular Vote1:5,813,699
Percentage1:54.00%
Nominee2:Peng Ming-min
Party2:Democratic Progressive Party
Running Mate2:Frank Hsieh
Popular Vote2:2,274,586
Percentage2:21.13%
Image4:林洋港省主席 (9to12).jpg
Nominee4:Lin Yang-kang
Party4:Independent politician
Colour4:fdd731
Running Mate4:Hau Pei-tsun
Popular Vote4:1,603,790
Percentage4:14.90%
Image5:陳履安院長.jpg
Nominee5:Chen Li-an
Party5:Independent politician
Running Mate5:Wang Ching-feng
Popular Vote5:1,074,044
Percentage5:9.98%
President
Before Election:Lee Teng-hui
After Election:Lee Teng-hui
Before Party:Kuomintang
After Party:Kuomintang

Presidential elections were held in Taiwan on 23 March 1996.[1] It was the first direct presidential election in Taiwan, officially the Republic of China. In the previous eight elections the president and vice president had been chosen in a ballot of the deputies of the National Assembly, in accordance with the 1947 constitution. These were the first free and direct elections in the History of Taiwan.

Lee Teng-hui was re-elected President and Lien Chan as Vice President. Lee stood as the candidate of the ruling Kuomintang. He won a majority of 54% of the votes cast. His election followed missile tests by the People's Republic of China (PRC). These were an attempt to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate and discourage them from supporting Lee, however the tactic backfired. Voter turnout was 76.0%.[2]

Candidates

The ruling Kuomintang nominated president Lee Teng-hui in August 1995 at its 14th Party Congress after plans to institute a closed primary system by his opponents were thwarted.[3] [4] As his running mate, Lee chose Lien Chan, who had attempted to resign his position as Premier of the Republic of China to join Lee's ticket.[5] [6] Lee did not accept Lien's resignation, as Lien's potential successors to the premiership stood little chance of legislative confirmation.[7] After the election, the Judicial Yuan allowed Lien to keep both posts.[8]

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party conducted an extensive nomination process: the presidential candidate was selected after two rounds of voting and fifty public debates by the two finalists. Hsu Hsin-liang, Lin Yi-hsiung, You Ching, and Peng Ming-min contended for this position. The seventy-two-year-old Peng emerged victorious and nominated legislator Frank Hsieh to be his running mate. Peng opposed trade with mainland China unless the PRC promised to "treat Taiwan as an equal." Though he argued that the One-China policy would lead to another February 28 Incident, he took the position that Taiwan was already de facto independent so a formal declaration of Taiwan independence was unnecessary unless the PRC attacked. However, Peng rejected unification with the mainland outright, describing the notion as "suicide" and "self-destruction."[9]

Former Taiwan Provincial Governor Lin Yang-kang ran as an independent with former Premier Hau Pei-tsun as his running mate.[10] After the pair registered as candidates, they were endorsed by New Party. Both Lin and Hau were expelled from the Kuomintang on 13 December 1995.[11] They supported the One-China principle and favored opening direct links with the mainland.[12] They argued that the KMT, led by Lee, had abandoned all attempts at unification.[13]

A second independent ticket consisted of former Control Yuan President Chen Li-an for President and Control Yuan member Wang Ching-feng for Vice President. Chen Li-an, the son of former Premier and Vice President Chen Cheng, used his Buddhist background (lay leader of the Fo Guang Shan order) and stressed moral purity and honest government. He walked for eighteen days wearing a farmer's straw hat to spread his views.[14] [15]

Former Taipei mayor Kao Yu-shu declared an end to his candidacy in January 1996.[16] [17] Feminist writer Shih Chi-ching also bid for the presidency, selecting Wu Yue-chen as her vice president. However, Shih and Wu's campaign ended after the Judicial Yuan ruled against them, finding that the ticket failed to meet the endorsement quota.[18] Mudslinging was rampant between the remaining four presidential tickets. The KMT claimed that the Taiwanese mafia had amputated Peng's arm to recoup gambling debts. However, Peng had lost his arm in an American air raid on Nagasaki during World War II. Independent candidate Lin Yang-kang alleged that Lee Teng-hui had been a Chinese Communist Party member, which he denied at the time, but later admitted involvement in a 2002 interview.[19] [20] The Kuomintang's website was also subject to cyberattacks. Chen Li-an criticized every other candidate for their advanced age.[21]

1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis

See main article: Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. From March 8 to March 15, the People's Liberation Army sent ballistic missiles within 25to (just inside the ROC's territorial waters) off the ports of Keelung and Kaohsiung. This action was intended to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate into voting against Lee and Peng, which Beijing branded "absolutely identical in attempting to divide the motherland."[22] Similarly, Chen Li-an warned, "If you vote for Lee Teng-hui, you are choosing war."[23] The crisis came to an end when two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups were positioned near Taiwan.[24]

Lee, who told his people to resist "state terrorism,"[25] was seen as a strong leader who could negotiate with the PRC. Because of this, many constituents from southern Taiwan who favored independence voted for him.[26] One Taipei newspaper, United Daily News reported that up to 14 to 15 percent of Lee's 54% vote share came from DPP supporters.[27]

Results

Maps

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Central Election Commission:::Presidential Elections::: . Central Election Commission . 9 January 2020 . en . 7 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191007193707/https://web.cec.gov.tw/english/cms/pe . live .
  2. [Dieter Nohlen]
  3. Book: Copper. John Franklin. Taiwan's Mid-1990s Elections: Taking the Final Steps to Democracy. 1998. Greenwood Publishing Group. 9780275962074. 104. 2020-11-23. 2023-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120920/https://books.google.com/books?id=ShTkbedObTQC&q=kuomintang+nominate+lee+teng+hui+1996+closed+primary&pg=PA104. live.
  4. Book: Clough. Ralph N.. Cooperation Or Conflict in the Taiwan Strait?. 1999. Rowman & Littlefield. 9780847693269. 4. 2020-11-23. 2023-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120941/https://books.google.com/books?id=OmkdcFUxP6EC&q=kuomintang+nominate+lee+teng+hui+1996&pg=PA4. live.
  5. News: Trenhaile. John. The New Cabinet. 12 October 2016. Taiwan Today. 1 August 1996. https://web.archive.org/web/20160915152001/http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=54929&ctNode=2198&mp=9. 15 September 2016. dead.
  6. Book: The Far East and Australasia 2003. 2002. Psychology Press. 9781857431339. 2020-11-23. 2023-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120919/https://books.google.com/books?id=LclscNCTz9oC&q=Lien+chan+resign+premier+vice+president&pg=PA391. live.
  7. Book: Tsang. Steve. Tien. Hung-mao. Tien Hung-mao. Democratisation in Taiwan: Implications for China. 1999. Springer. 9781349272792. 155. 2020-11-23. 2023-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120920/https://books.google.com/books?id=feywCwAAQBAJ&q=Lien+chan+resign+premier+vice+president&pg=PA155. live.
  8. Book: Jayasuriya. Kanishka. Law, Capitalism and Power in Asia: The Rule of Law and Legal Institutions. 2006. Routledge. 9781134738267. 233. 2020-11-23. 2023-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120922/https://books.google.com/books?id=SjmEAgAAQBAJ&q=Lien+chan+resign+premier+vice+president&pg=PA233. live.
  9. News: Deserting 'Independence'. 3 June 2016. CNN. 27 October 1995. 7 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160807075528/http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/95/1027/nat3.html. live.
  10. News: Sheng. Virginia. Lin names former premier, Hau, as running mate for March vote. 25 September 2016. Taiwan Today. 17 November 1995. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927111854/http://www.taiwantoday.tw/fp.asp?xItem=13743&CtNode=451. 27 September 2016. dead.
  11. Book: Schubert. Gunter. Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan. 2016. Routledge. 9781317669708. 57.
  12. News: Tempest. Rone. Defiant Taiwan Puts Beijing in Difficult Straits. 25 September 2016. Los Angeles Times. 24 March 1996. 27 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927073525/http://articles.latimes.com/1996-03-24/news/mn-50762_1_taiwan-strait. live.
  13. News: Tyler. Patrick E.. TENSION IN TAIWAN: THE POLITICS;War Games Play Well for Taiwan's Leader. 25 September 2016. New York Times. 22 March 1996. 18 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180618203331/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/22/world/tension-in-taiwan-the-politics-war-games-play-well-for-taiwan-s-leader.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. live.
  14. Book: Roy. Denny. Taiwan: A Political History. 2003. Cornell University Press. 9780801488054. 199. 2020-11-23. 2023-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120911/https://books.google.com/books?id=DNqasVI-gWMC&q=Chen+Li-an+eighteen+days&pg=PA199. live.
  15. Book: Copper. John Franklin. Taiwan's Mid-1990s Elections: Taking the Final Steps to Democracy. 1998. Greenwood Publishing Group. 9780275962074. 106.
  16. Book: Copper. John Franklin. Taiwan's Mid-1990s Elections: Taking the Final Steps to Democracy. 1998. Greenwood Publishing Group. 9780275962074. 99. 2020-11-23. 2023-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120924/https://books.google.com/books?id=ShTkbedObTQC&q=Kao+Yu-shu+1996+president&pg=PA99. live.
  17. News: Sheng. Virginia. Independents fault sign-up rules; One presidential hopeful abandons race in protest. 16 September 2016. Taiwan Today. 12 January 1996. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160816150453/http://www.taiwantoday.tw/fp.asp?xItem=13887&CtNode=122. 16 August 2016.
  18. News: Han Cheung. Taiwan in Time:The 'Divorce Queen'. 8 January 2017. Taipei Times. 8 January 2017. 8 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170108143218/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2017/01/08/2003662714. live.
  19. News: Schmetzer. Uli. Taiwanese Exercising Democracy. 25 September 2016. Chicago Tribune. 23 March 1996. 27 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927054133/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-03-23/news/9603230063_1_mainland-affairs-council-taiwan-strait-president-lee-teng-hui. live.
  20. News: Lin. Mei-Chun. Lee admits to fling with Communism. 26 October 2014. Taipei Times. 8 November 2002. 26 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141026033015/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/11/08/0000178746. live.
  21. News: Lin. Jennifer. Taiwan Campaigning Has A Familiar Ring. 3 June 2016. Philadelphia Inquirer. 21 March 1996. 23 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160623221300/http://articles.philly.com/1996-03-21/news/25636813_1_kmt-peng-lin-yang-kang. live.
  22. Book: Roy. Denny. Taiwan: A Political History. 2003. Cornell University Press. 9780801488054. 198. 2016-06-03. 2023-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120922/https://books.google.com/books?id=DNqasVI-gWMC&pg=PA198. live.
  23. News: Crowell . Todd . Bodeen . Chris . Confrontations . 3 June 2016 . CNN . 15 March 1996 . 7 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160807081055/http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/96/0315/nat6.html . live .
  24. Wu Yu-shan. Wu. Yu-Shan. Taiwan's Domestic Politics and Cross-Strait Relations. The China Journal. January 2005. 53. 53. 35–60 . 10.2307/20065991 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161001195300/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/research/researchcentres/cpd/easg/easg_calendar/taiwan27s_domestic_politics_and_cross-strait_relations.pdf . 20065991 . 145301834. 1 October 2016.
  25. News: Chinoy. Mike. Chinese premier urges U.S. not to 'aggravate' situation. 25 September 2016. CNN.com. 17 March 1996. 25 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220325125657/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9603/china_taiwan/17/. live.
  26. News: Tyler. Patrick E.. Taiwan's leader wins its election and a mandate. 25 September 2016. New York Times. 24 March 1996. 9 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140309051533/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/24/world/taiwan-s-leader-wins-its-election-and-a-mandate.html. live.
  27. Book: Bellows. Thomas J.. "The March 1996 Elections in the Republic of China on Taiwan" - American Journal of Chinese Studies (Vol. 3, No. 2, October 1996). 243.

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