The Taiwan People's Party TPP, founded in 2019, has appealed to young voters on Tiktok, for example.
For young people, the China issue is not as important as for older voters. They want an improvement in their standard of living.
Taipei / New Taipei
In the morning Taiwan's defense minister announced again that he had spotted Chinese balloons crossing the Taiwan Strait. It is the expected election day.
Today, Saturday, the people of Taiwan cast their vote on the direction of the future. The election will elect a new president, vice president and representatives to the 113-seat parliament, or yuan. The ballot boxes closed at 16:00 local time, i.e. at 10:00 Finnish time.
Supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at the penultimate evening party on Thursday.
Depending on the point of view, the elections have been grandly declared a choice between “war and peace” or “democracy and dictatorship”. The world is especially interested in how the election result will affect relations between China and Taiwan. China considers self-governing Taiwan part of it and has increased military exercises in the region in recent years.
However, especially for young voters in Taiwan, it's about the price of housing and living, as well as other everyday issues.
Li Alice (left), who came to TPP's campaign event with her boyfriend, votes for Ko Wen-je, because she believes that he is the best one to intervene in issues important to young people, such as housing costs. “I vote for the future of young people,” he says.
Japanese major Chiang Elaine, 24, loves DPP vice-presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim, who was one of the first politicians in Taiwan to support same-sex marriage. Chiang votes for the DPP because he wants to distance himself from the Chinese dictatorship, get closer to the United States and promote policies favorable to minorities.
DPP-voting entrepreneur Chuang Che-yu, 53, believes the current status quo between China and Taiwan will continue. The most important thing for him is securing world peace.
The most important thing is world peace. That is what the entrepreneur emphasizes Chuang Che-yu53, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate William Lain at the final campaign party on Friday night.
But the comment could have come from anyone's mouth on the streets of Taipei and New Taipei. It is clear that Taiwanese people want peace.
Retired Chang Hsiu-Ching, 68, does not believe in war. “We have been between China and the United States for more than 50 years. The situation is unlikely to get worse,” he states. The most important thing for Chang is that “China is independent and Taiwan is independent”. He believes that DPP William Lai will improve Taiwan's relationship with China and the United States.
All the three presidential candidates assure themselves that they are men in place to avoid war and ensure stability.
Kuomintang (KMT) candidate, mayor of Taiwan's largest city, New Taipei Hou Yu-ih, warns that the DPP's William Lai line would drive Taiwan to war with China. Lai, on the other hand, accuses Hou of plans to annex Taiwan to China.
Both candidates deny the other party's accusations and the supporters of each candidate believe that it is their candidate who will deliver on his promises.
“If Hou Yu-ih wins the election, Taiwan's relationship with both China and the United States will be better than it is now,” say people at the KMT party. And the same phrase is repeated at other parties. Only the name of the candidate changes.
Kuomintang presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih walked towards the stage of the stadium escorted by security guards at the KMT's last campaign meeting in New Taipei.
Housewife Hsu Tina (right) 58, believes that KMT's Hou Yu-ih would improve Taiwan's relationship with China and the United States as president. “The most important thing for me is peace with China and [sen estäminen], that Taiwan would declare independence. That's why KMT is the only option,” he says. Also in the picture is Hsu Sharon.
High school teacher Wang Candy, 42, was in New Taipei on his way to an election event for the Kuomintang Party. He thinks Vice President William Lai is a liar. “For me, the most important reason to vote is that I don't want to see the Democratic Progressive Party in power anymore.”
of Taiwan the election celebrations have a joyful atmosphere that combines elements of music festivals and events of charismatic religious leaders.
DPP's Lai and KMT's Hou perform in New Taipei at stadiums that are only twenty minutes' walk away. Traffic in the area has slowed down.
The election's kind of dark horse, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Ko Wen-jegot a space for its closing party that all parties always compete for: Ketagalan Boulevard.
A former doctor and mayor of Taipei, Ko is a charismatic leader whose style appeals especially to young people frustrated with the ruling parties. It is also clearly visible in the middle age of the supporters gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard.
The former mayor of Taipei, Ko Wen-je, is a youth favorite despite his 64-year-old age. He presents himself as an alternative to Taiwan's traditional parties, whose politics emphasize the China issue.
Ko only founded the Taiwan People's Party in 2019 and aims to present himself as an alternative candidate above the traditional China issue.
“It doesn't matter if the trash is green or blue,” reads a Ko supporter's sign, referring to the fact that traditional parties are both equally miserable.
Engineer Jacky Hsiao, 30, made himself a screen in his backpack that repeats slogans supporting Ko Wen-jen. Ko is on the side of science and does not leave children with debts, Hsiao believes. “It's time to say goodbye to the old decision-makers, they are all too networked with interest groups. It's dirty,” he says.
In the evening Young people in favor of Kota celebrate cheerfully in the vicinity of Ketagalan Boulevard. The tables are dripping with beer and food. From time to time the entire restaurant crowd starts shouting Ko's name in unison.
Ko is perhaps the most charismatic of the candidates, although that is hardly enough to win. Instead, Ko's party can rise to a decisive position in the parliament, if neither DPP nor KMT wins a majority.
Architect Hsu Angela, 36, is dissatisfied with Taiwan's administration and legal system. He believes that if Ko Wen-je wins, he could tackle corruption and bring more transparency to the system. Hsu arrived at the campaign meeting with one of his friends, but already at the gates of the event they were joined by other Ko supporters.
Although hundreds of thousands of supporters participated in Friday's election frenzy, the next president is not expected to win as heady as his predecessor. Tsai Ing-wen was elected four years ago for his second term with more than 57 percent of the vote.
In the elections colored by the events in Hong Kong, the president's mandate was strengthened by the fact that the democratic Progressive Party won a simple majority in the parliament.
Now the votes have spread to three candidates. There is no runoff in Taiwan, so it is likely that the winner will not receive half of the votes.
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