Young Voters Pick the Side Against Beijing

Commentary William Lai’s victory in Taiwan’s presidential election last Saturday was an historic event.  It was the first time since open elections were introduced that a party had won a presidential third term. Despite polls predicting a tight result, Mr. Lai had a clear victory for the Democratic People’s Party (DPP). Mr. Lai finished with 40.1 percent of the popular vote, ahead of his opponents, the Kuomingtang’s (KMT) Hou Yu-ih with 33.5 percent, and the Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) Ko Wen-je on 26.5 percent. Several factors appear evident in the final result. New, Young Voters First, the presence on the ballot of a third candidate, the TPP’s Ko Wen-je, gave voters more choice than in past presidential elections. ...