William Lai Ching-te has been officially declared the winner of the Taiwan presidential election.
Representing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Lai Ching-te successfully defeated his opponents, Hou Yu-ih of the conservative Kuomintang (KMT), and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party in the election held on Saturday.
Results released by Taiwan’s central election committee indicate that Lai Ching-te secured the presidency with 41 percent of the popular vote, while his primary rivals trailed with 33 percent and 26 percent, respectively.
The victory announcement was made with results from 98 percent of polling stations disclosed, prompting conceding from opponents.
Expressing gratitude for the support he received, Lai Ching-te thanked the Taiwanese people for contributing to a new chapter in the country’s democracy.
The president-elect emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to democracy, standing in contrast to authoritarianism.
“I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We have shown the world how much we cherish our democracy. This is our unwavering commitment.
“We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy.
“The Republic of China, Taiwan will continue to walk side by side with democracies from around the worldi,” remarked Lai Ching-te.
As the incumbent vice president, Lai Ching-te had pledged to continue the DPP’s advocacy for Taiwan as a de facto independent state from China, a stance that resonated with the majority of citizens.
Leading up to the election, China issued warnings to Taiwanese voters, urging them to “make the right choice” and highlighting the perceived danger of Lai Ching-te’s potential escalation of cross-strait confrontation and conflict.
Despite Taiwan’s de facto independence since the 1940s, China maintains a claim over the island and its surrounding territories.
Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to assert influence over Taiwan.
Lai Ching-te’s victory marks the third consecutive term for the DPP as the dominant party in Taiwan.
While Tsai Ing-wen secured the initial two elections for the party, she was ineligible to participate in Saturday’s poll due to term limits.
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