Mar 22, 2004

Taiwan: results of Referendum and Presidential elections


President Chen and Vice-President Lu were re-elected while the turnout of the referendum was less than 50%
Elections for the President and Vice President of the Republic of China were held in Taiwan on March 20, 2004. President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu of the Democratic Progressive Party were re-elected by a margin of less than 0.25% of valid votes over a combined opposition ticket of Nationalist Party Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party Chairman James Soong. Lien and Soong have refused to concede and announced that they will challenge the results.

The election, officially called the Election for the 11th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China, was the third direct presidential election in Taiwan's history and the 11th presidential election overall under the 1947 Chinese Constitution. A consultative referendum took place on the same day. Voters were asked two questions regarding relations with the People's Republic of China. Voters agreed by wide margins two questions put by the government, but the less than 50% turnout invalidated the result.

Presidential election: Official results from the Central Election Commission

Presidential candidate VP candidate Political affiliation Total votes Percentage
Chen Shui-bian Lu Hsiu-lien A. Democratic Progressive Party (Pan-Green Coalition) 6,471,970 50.11%
Lien Chan James C.Y. Soong Kuomintang/People First Party (Pan-Blue Coalition) 6,442,452 49.89%
    Votes cast 13,251,719  
    Voter turnout 80.28%  
    Valid votes 12,914,422  
    Invalid votes 337,297  

The referendum questions

1) The People of Taiwan demand that the Taiwan Strait issue be resolved through peaceful means. Should Mainland China refuse to withdraw the missiles it has targeted at Taiwan and to openly renounce the use of force against us, would you agree that the Government should acquire more advanced anti-missile weapons to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities?

2) Would you agree that our Government should engage in negotiation with Mainland China on the establishment of a "peace and stability" framework for cross-strait interactions in order to build consensus and for the welfare of the peoples on both sides?

Results

The results of the referendum were rendered invalid, as only 45.17% of possible voters cast a ballot for the first question and only 45.12% cast a ballot for the second question. A minimum of 50% was required to validate the results. However, of the 45% who voted, 92% were in favor of both referendum questions.