Taiwan's Nationalists 'win election'

Taiwan’s main opposition Nationalist party reportedly captured at least 57 seats in the island’s parliament today, assuring it of a majority in the 113-seat body.

The ruling DPP won only 12 seats, with votes for 69 constituencies counted, TV stations said.

With about 6.7 million of the expected 10 million ballots tallied, the Nationalists had scored 58% of the vote against the DPP’s 42%, the stations said.

In the last elections four years ago, the Nationalists and their allies received 49.8% of the vote against 46.3% for the DPP and a satellite party.

A resounding win for the Nationalists would constitute a big blow to President Chen Shui-bian, who has been criticised for aggravating relations with China by promoting policies to formalise Taiwan’s de facto independence.

Critics say those policies have made Taiwan’s once vibrant economy less competitive and ratcheted up tension in the perennially edgy Taiwan Strait.

The Nationalists favour more active engagement with China and do not rule out eventual unification.

The DPP wants to formalise the independence Taiwan has had since an inconclusive civil war nearly 60 years ago, but has held off out of fears that China would make good on threats to attack.