DHARAMSHALA, January 16: The Democratic Progressive Party has won the historic elections of Taiwan instating the first ever woman president for the island nation that broke away from the mainland following a bloody civil war in 1949.
Tsai Ing-wen, who had met the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama in the past, will become the first ever female president of Taiwan.
“This is once again a victory for the people of Taiwan. As a comparatively young country and democracy, Taiwan continues to remain a significant example and the victory today delivers a strong message to its neighbouring nations,” said Tenzin Jigdal, International Coordinator for the International Tibet Network.
Eric Chu, the Nationalist Party candidate in Taiwan’s presidential election conceded defeat late Saturday and congratulated rival Tsai Ing-wen to her victory as the country’s new President, state-run Central News Agency reported.
The DPP has traditionally been in favor of independence for the island from mainland China, which views Taiwan as an integral part of its territory that is to be taken by force if necessary.
Sending a strong signal to Beijing, Tsai said the will of the Taiwanese people would be the basis for relations with China.
“I also want to emphasise that both sides of the Taiwanese Strait have a responsibility to find mutually acceptable means of interaction that are based on dignity and reciprocity.
“We must ensure that no provocations or accidents take place,” Ms Tsai said, warning that “any forms of suppression will harm the stability of cross-strait relations”.
China has reportedly blocked Tsai’s account on Sina Weibo, dubbed as China’s Twitter, immediately as results started coming out.
Searches for Tsai Ing -wen in Weibo, China’s biggest search engine, have also been blocked.
