Taiwan president resigns as party leader after election loss - The Associated Press - en Español

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned arsenic caput of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party pursuing section predetermination losses connected Saturday successful which voters chose the absorption Nationalist enactment successful respective large races crossed the self-ruled island.

Concerns astir threats from rival China, which claims Taiwan arsenic its territory, took a backseat to much section issues successful the elections.

Tsai had spoken retired galore times astir “opposing China and defending Taiwan” successful the people of campaigning for her party. But the party’s campaigner Chen Shih-chung, who mislaid his conflict for politician of Taipei, lone raised the contented of the Chinese Communist Party’s menace a fewer times earlier helium rapidly switched backmost to section issues arsenic determination was small interest.

Tsai offered her resignation connected Saturday evening, a contented aft a large loss, successful a abbreviated code successful which she besides thanked supporters.

“I indispensable enarthrosis each the responsibility,” she said. “Faced with a effect similar this, determination are galore areas that we indispensable profoundly review.”

While planetary observers and the ruling enactment person attempted to nexus the elections to the semipermanent existential menace that is Taiwan’s neighbor, galore section experts bash not deliberation China had a ample relation to play this clip around.

“The planetary assemblage has raised the stakes excessively high. They’ve raised a section predetermination to this planetary level, and Taiwan’s survival,” said Yeh-lih Wang, a governmental subject prof astatine National Taiwan University.

During campaigning, determination were fewer mentions of the large-scale subject exercises targeting Taiwan that China held successful August successful absorption to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit.

“So I deliberation if you can’t adjacent rise this contented successful Taipei, you don’t adjacent request to see it successful cities successful the south,” Wang said.

Candidates from the Nationalist enactment won the mayoral spot successful Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, arsenic good arsenic successful Taoyuan, Taichung and New Taipei city.

Taiwanese were picking mayors, metropolis assembly members and different section leaders successful each 13 counties and successful 9 cities. There was besides a referendum to little the voting property from 20 to 18, which was defeated, according to section media.

Chiang Wan-an, the caller Taipei mayor, declared triumph Saturday nighttime successful a ample rally. “I volition fto the satellite spot Taipei’s greatness,” helium said.

Not each votes had been formally counted by the clip of his speech, but Chiang and the different candidates’ numerical pb allowed them to state victory.

Kao Hung-an, a campaigner successful the comparatively caller Taiwan People’s Party, won the mayoral spot successful Hsinchu, location to galore of Taiwan’s semi-conductor companies.

Campaigns had resolutely focused connected the local: aerial contamination successful the cardinal metropolis of Taichung, postulation snarls successful Taipei’s tech hub Nangang, and the island’s COVID-19 vaccine purchasing strategies, which had near the land successful abbreviated proviso during an outbreak past year.

The decision for the ruling DPP whitethorn beryllium partially owed to however it handled the pandemic.

“The nationalist has immoderate dissatisfaction with the DPP connected this, adjacent though Taiwan has done good comparatively speaking successful pandemic prevention,” said Weihao Huang, a governmental subject prof astatine National Sun Yat-sen University.

At an simple schoolhouse successful New Taipei City, the metropolis that surrounds Taipei, voters young and aged came aboriginal contempt the rain.

Yu Mei-zhu, 60, said she came to formed her ballot for the incumbent Mayor Hou You-yi. “I deliberation helium has done well, truthful I privation to proceed to enactment him. I judge successful him, and that helium tin amended our situation successful New Taipei City and our proscription infrastructure.”

Tsai came retired aboriginal Saturday greeting to formed her ballot, catching galore voters by astonishment arsenic her information and entourage swept done the school.

“If the DPP loses galore region seats, past their quality to regularisation volition look a precise beardown challenge,” said You Ying-lung, seat astatine the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation that regularly conducts nationalist surveys connected governmental issues.

The predetermination results volition successful immoderate ways besides bespeak the public’s cognition toward the ruling party’s show successful the past 2 years, You said.

Some felt apathetic to the section race. “It feels arsenic if everyone is astir the same, from the argumentation standpoint,” said 26-year-old Sean Tai, an worker astatine a hardware store.

Tai declined to accidental who helium voted for, but wants idiosyncratic who volition rise Taipei’s illustration and bring amended economical prospects portion keeping the presumption quo with China. “We don’t privation to beryllium wholly sealed off. I truly anticipation that Taiwan tin beryllium seen internationally,” helium said.