ROC presidential election, 1996
Encyclopedia
The election of the ninth-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China (第九任中華民國總統 、副總統選舉) was the first ever direct presidential election in the ROC
on Taiwan
; it occurred on 23 March, 1996. In the previous eight elections the president and vice president had been chosen in a ballot of the deputies of the National Assembly
, in accordance with the 1947 constitution
.
The outcome of the 1996 election was that Lee Teng-hui
was elected as President of the Republic of China
and Lien Chan
as Vice President. Lee stood as the incumbent, and as the candidate of the ruling Kuomintang
. He won a majority of 54% of the votes cast. His election followed missile tests by the People's Republic of China
. These were an attempt to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate and discourage them from supporting Lee, however the tactic backfired. Voter turnout was 76.0%.
if he were elected Vice President.
The Democratic Progressive Party conducted an extensive nomination process: the presidential candidate was selected after two rounds of voting and fifty public debates by the two finalists. Hsu Hsin-liang
, Lin Yi-hsiung
, Yu Ching, and Peng Ming-min
contended for this position. The seventy-two-year-old Peng emerged victorious and nominated legislator Frank Hsieh
to be his running mate. Peng opposed trade with mainland China
unless the PRC promised to "treat Taiwan as an equal." Though he argued that the One-China policy
would lead to another 228 Incident
, he took the position that Taiwan was already de facto independent so a formal declaration of Taiwan independence
was unnecessary unless the PRC attacked.
Former Taiwan Provincial Governor Lin Yang-kang
ran as an independent with former Premier Hau Pei-tsun
as his running mate. After the pair registered as candidates on November 27, 1995, a small protest in Taichung
demanded their expulsion from the KMT. On the recommendation of the KMT Disciplinary Committee, their party memberships were cancelled (a step short of expelled) in December for "viciously attacking" Lee Teng-hui and "seriously damaging the party's image and prestige." They were endorsed by New Party
after its own nominee dropped out. Lin and Hau likewise campaigned on behalf of the New Party. They supported the One-China Principle and favored opening direct links with the mainland. They argued that the KMT was too corrupt to govern.
A second independent ticket consisted of former Control Yuan President Chen Li-an
for President and Control Yuan Member Wang Ching-feng
for Vice President. Chen Li-an, the son of former Premier and Vice President Chen Cheng
, used his Buddhist background (lay leader of the Fo Guang Shan
order) and stressed moral purity and honest government. He walked for eighteen days wearing a famer's straw hat to spread his views.
sent ballistic missiles within 25 to 35 miles (just inside the ROC's territorial waters) off the ports of Keelung and Kaohsiung. This action was intended to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate into voting against Lee and Peng, which Beijing branded "absolutely identical in attempting to divide the motherland." Similarly, Chen Li-an warned, "If you vote for Lee Teng-hui, you are choosing war." The crisis came to an end when two U.S. aircraft carrier
battle groups were positioned near Taiwan.
Lee, who told his people to resist "state terrorism," was boosted in popularity by the widespread anger (as opposed to fear) caused by the missile tests. Most analysts believed that Lee was boosted 5% in the polls, just enough to have earned him a majority (as opposed to a plurality) in the election. [source?]
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
; it occurred on 23 March, 1996. In the previous eight elections the president and vice president had been chosen in a ballot of the deputies of the National Assembly
National Assembly of the Republic of China
The National Assembly of the Republic of China refers to several parliamentary bodies that existed in the Republic of China. The National Assembly was originally founded in 1913 as the first legislature in Chinese history, but was disbanded less than a year later as President Yuan Shikai assumed...
, in accordance with the 1947 constitution
Constitution of the Republic of China
The Constitution of the Republic of China is the fundamental law of the Republic of China . Drafted by the Kuomintang as part of its third stage of national development , it established a centralized Republic with five branches of government...
.
The outcome of the 1996 election was that Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
was elected as President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
and Lien Chan
Lien Chan
Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005...
as Vice President. Lee stood as the incumbent, and as the candidate of the ruling Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
. He won a majority of 54% of the votes cast. His election followed missile tests by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. These were an attempt to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate and discourage them from supporting Lee, however the tactic backfired. Voter turnout was 76.0%.
Candidates
The ruling Kuomintang nominated Lee Teng-hui in August 1995 at its 14th Party Congress after plans to institute a closed primary system by his opponents were thwarted. As his running mate, Lee chose Lien Chan, who promised to resign as Premier of the Republic of ChinaPremier of the Republic of China
The President of the Executive Yuan , commonly known as the Premier of the Republic of China , is the head of the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of the Republic of China , which currently administers Taiwan, Matsu, and Kinmen. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China...
if he were elected Vice President.
The Democratic Progressive Party conducted an extensive nomination process: the presidential candidate was selected after two rounds of voting and fifty public debates by the two finalists. Hsu Hsin-liang
Hsu Hsin-liang
Hsu Hsin-liang is a Taiwanese politician, formerly Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party . He was a supporter of the Pan-Blue Coalition from 2000 to 2008 but then supported the DPP in the 2008 presidential election.-Biography:...
, Lin Yi-hsiung
Lin Yi-hsiung
Lin Yi-hsiung who sued the ruling KMT party for electoral fraud. Lin was elected a member of Taiwan Provincial Assembly in Guo's old electorate in 1977.-Lin Family Massacre:...
, Yu Ching, and Peng Ming-min
Peng Ming-min
Peng Ming-min is a noted Taiwan independence activist and politician. Arrested for sedition in 1964 for printing a manifesto advocating Taiwanese independence, he dramatically escaped from Taiwan to the United States and after 22 years in exile, returned to became the Democratic Progressive...
contended for this position. The seventy-two-year-old Peng emerged victorious and nominated legislator Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
to be his running mate. Peng opposed trade with mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
unless the PRC promised to "treat Taiwan as an equal." Though he argued that the One-China policy
One-China policy
The One-China policy refers to the policy or view that there is only one state called "China", despite the existence of two governments that claim to be "China"....
would lead to another 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
, he took the position that Taiwan was already de facto independent so a formal declaration of Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
was unnecessary unless the PRC attacked.
Former Taiwan Provincial Governor Lin Yang-kang
Lin Yang-kang
Lin Yang-kang is a politician in the Republic of China .-Biography:Born in Nantou County, Taiwan, Lin graduated from National Taiwan University with a bachelor of science degree...
ran as an independent with former Premier Hau Pei-tsun
Hau Pei-tsun
Hau Pei-tsun was Premier of the Republic of China from May 30, 1990 to February 10, 1993 and a 4-star general in the ROC Army.-Biography:Born to a well-to-do family in Yancheng, Jiangsu, Hau received a military education from the Chinese Military Academy, Chinese Army University, U.S. Army Command...
as his running mate. After the pair registered as candidates on November 27, 1995, a small protest in Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
demanded their expulsion from the KMT. On the recommendation of the KMT Disciplinary Committee, their party memberships were cancelled (a step short of expelled) in December for "viciously attacking" Lee Teng-hui and "seriously damaging the party's image and prestige." They were endorsed by New Party
New Party (Republic of China)
The New Party, formerly the Chinese New Party , is a centre-right conservative political party in the Republic of China , and part of the pan-blue coalition....
after its own nominee dropped out. Lin and Hau likewise campaigned on behalf of the New Party. They supported the One-China Principle and favored opening direct links with the mainland. They argued that the KMT was too corrupt to govern.
A second independent ticket consisted of former Control Yuan President Chen Li-an
Chen Li-an
Chen Li-an , sometimes spelled Chen Lu-an, is an electrical engineer, mathematician and former Taiwanese politician.-Biography:Son of former Vice President Chen Tsyr-shiou and earned his masters' and Ph.D. in mathematics from New York University. He had a close friendship with Wang Yung-ching, a...
for President and Control Yuan Member Wang Ching-feng
Wang Ching-feng
Wang Ching-feng is a Taiwanese lawyer and politician.Wang graduated from the Taipei First Girls' High School and received her bachelor and master degrees in law from National Chengchi University. Wang has been working as a lawyer since graduation. Since 1987, she has been organising activities to...
for Vice President. Chen Li-an, the son of former Premier and Vice President Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng , was a Chinese political and military leader, and one of the main National Revolutionary Army commanders during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. After moving to Taiwan at the end of the Civil War, he served as the Governor of Taiwan Province, Vice President and...
, used his Buddhist background (lay leader of the Fo Guang Shan
Fo Guang Shan
Fo Guang Shan is an international Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order based in the Republic of China , and one of the largest Buddhist organizations. The headquarters of Fo Guang Shan, located in Kaohsiung, is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. The organization itself is also one of...
order) and stressed moral purity and honest government. He walked for eighteen days wearing a famer's straw hat to spread his views.
1996 Taiwan Straits Crisis
From March 8 to March 15, the People's Liberation ArmyPeople's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
sent ballistic missiles within 25 to 35 miles (just inside the ROC's territorial waters) off the ports of Keelung and Kaohsiung. This action was intended to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate into voting against Lee and Peng, which Beijing branded "absolutely identical in attempting to divide the motherland." Similarly, Chen Li-an warned, "If you vote for Lee Teng-hui, you are choosing war." The crisis came to an end when two U.S. aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
battle groups were positioned near Taiwan.
Lee, who told his people to resist "state terrorism," was boosted in popularity by the widespread anger (as opposed to fear) caused by the missile tests. Most analysts believed that Lee was boosted 5% in the polls, just enough to have earned him a majority (as opposed to a plurality) in the election. [source?]
Results
| Presidential candidate | VP Candidate | Political affiliation | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Teng-hui Lee Teng-hui Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct... |
Lien Chan Lien Chan Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005... |
 KuomintangKuomintang The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused... |
5,813,699 | 54.0 |
| Peng Ming-min Peng Ming-min Peng Ming-min is a noted Taiwan independence activist and politician. Arrested for sedition in 1964 for printing a manifesto advocating Taiwanese independence, he dramatically escaped from Taiwan to the United States and after 22 years in exile, returned to became the Democratic Progressive... |
Frank Hsieh Frank Hsieh Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of... |
2,274,586 | 21.1 | |
| Lin Yang-kang Lin Yang-kang Lin Yang-kang is a politician in the Republic of China .-Biography:Born in Nantou County, Taiwan, Lin graduated from National Taiwan University with a bachelor of science degree... |
Hau Pei-tsun Hau Pei-tsun Hau Pei-tsun was Premier of the Republic of China from May 30, 1990 to February 10, 1993 and a 4-star general in the ROC Army.-Biography:Born to a well-to-do family in Yancheng, Jiangsu, Hau received a military education from the Chinese Military Academy, Chinese Army University, U.S. Army Command... |
1,603,790 | 14.9 | |
| Chen Li-an Chen Li-an Chen Li-an , sometimes spelled Chen Lu-an, is an electrical engineer, mathematician and former Taiwanese politician.-Biography:Son of former Vice President Chen Tsyr-shiou and earned his masters' and Ph.D. in mathematics from New York University. He had a close friendship with Wang Yung-ching, a... |
Wang Ching-feng Wang Ching-feng Wang Ching-feng is a Taiwanese lawyer and politician.Wang graduated from the Taipei First Girls' High School and received her bachelor and master degrees in law from National Chengchi University. Wang has been working as a lawyer since graduation. Since 1987, she has been organising activities to... |
1,074,044 | 9.9 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 117,160 | |||
| Total | 10,883,279 | 100 | ||