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President Ma elected to second term

ROC Central News Agency

2012/01/15 00:13:01

Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang (KMT) was elected Saturday to a second term, defeating his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Tsai Ing-wen with 51.6 percent of the vote.

"Congratulations, everyone! We have won," Ma told his supporters, who had waited in the rain for nearly an hour.

"This is not Ma Ying-jeou's personal victory, but one for the Taiwanese people," he said. "It's also a victory for our direction toward a clean government, prosperity and peace."

The 61-year-old president said the victory is a clear message from the Taiwanese people to continue moving in the current direction.

"I want to thank everyone for your support that has given me the opportunity to achieve the changes Taiwan needs in another four years. I will never let you down," he pledged.

According to the Central Election Commission, Ma garnered 6,891,139 votes, giving him an edge of nearly 6 percent over Tsai, who bagged 6,093,578 votes, or 45.63 percent.

The third candidate, People First Party Chairman James Soong, got 369,588 votes, or 2.77 percent.

Ma's re-election bid has been a close battle compared with 2008 when he gained 7,659,014 votes, winning by a margin of nearly 17 percent over the DPP's Frank Hsieh.

However, on Saturday Ma beat Tsai in 15 of the country's 22 cities and counties. The DPP came out ahead in Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, Yilan County, Yunlin County, Chiayi City, Chiayi County and Pingtung County.

Tsai, who would have become Taiwan's first female president had she won, graciously conceded defeat at an international press conference soon after Ma addressed his supporters.

"We admit defeat in the presidential election and accept the decision of the people of Taiwan," she said.

Tsai, 55, also announced her resignation as chairwoman of the DPP.

"I would like apologize to all the party's supporters for failing to meet their expectations," she added.

She congratulated Ma on his victory and said she hoped he would listen to the voices of the people over the next four years.

Meanwhile, in his concession speech, Soong said, "We accept the decision made by the people."

He said his party will take the people's issues seriously and continue to fight for the benefit and well-being of Taiwan.

Soong did not congratulate Ma on his victory nor did he answer questions from reporters regarding his next move.

The third defeat at the polls for Soong, 69, is seen as his swan song.

In the 2000 presidential election, he finished second, running as an independent after he failed to get the KMT nomination. He managed to split the pan-blue vote, which left Chen Shui-bian of the DPP as the winner with 39.3 percent of the vote.

Soong won 36.8 percent of the vote then, with the KMT's Lien Chan trailing with 23.1 percent.

Soong ran for Taipei City mayor in 2006, but finished a distant third with just over 4 percent of the vote, behind Hau Lung-bin of the KMT and Frank Hsieh of the DPP.

After his defeat in the mayoral election, Soong said he would withdraw from politics, but returned to compete as the PFP candidate in this year's presidential election.

(By Kendra Lin, Jamie Wang, Nancy Liu and Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM /pc