Republic of China National Assembly elections, 1912
Encyclopedia
The Republic of China National Assembly elections, 1912, held in December 1912 to January 1913, were the first elections for the new founded Republic of China
Senate and House of Representatives.
The poll was indirect as voters chose electors who picked the delegates which caused instances of bribery. The Senate was elected by the provincial assemblies which had themselves been elected in 1909 during the Qing dynasty
. The president had to pick the 64 members representing Tibet
, Outer Mongolia
, and Overseas Chinese
due to practical reasons. However, these elections had the participation of over 300 civic groups and were the first and most competitive nationwide elections in Chinese history.
The Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) led by Song Jiaoren won a plurality in both houses of the assembly and expected to become the Premier however was assassinated on March 20. By order of seats, the Republican, Unity, and Democratic (formerly Constitutionalist) parties later merged into the Progressive Party under Liang Qichao
, became the main rival to the Nationalists.
The assembly convened for the first time on April 8 amid heated debate over the assassination. The Nationalists was divided over solutions on how to deal with Yuan Shikai
, the provisional president who was suspected of the crime. Sun Yat-sen
led a faction to rebel against Yuan on July 12 but was completely defeated within two months. The National Assembly members were compromised by threats and bribes from Yuan. He confined them and forced them to elect him formal president. Next, he outlawed the Nationalists and expelled them from the assembly. Without a quorum, it could not convene so Yuan disbanded it on 10 January 1914.
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...
Senate and House of Representatives.
The poll was indirect as voters chose electors who picked the delegates which caused instances of bribery. The Senate was elected by the provincial assemblies which had themselves been elected in 1909 during the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. The president had to pick the 64 members representing Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, Outer Mongolia
Outer Mongolia
Outer Mongolia was a territory of the Qing Dynasty = the Manchu Empire. Its area was roughly equivalent to that of the modern state of Mongolia, which is sometimes informally called "Outer Mongolia" today...
, and Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
due to practical reasons. However, these elections had the participation of over 300 civic groups and were the first and most competitive nationwide elections in Chinese history.
The Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) led by Song Jiaoren won a plurality in both houses of the assembly and expected to become the Premier however was assassinated on March 20. By order of seats, the Republican, Unity, and Democratic (formerly Constitutionalist) parties later merged into the Progressive Party under Liang Qichao
Liang Qichao
Liang Qichao |Styled]] Zhuoru, ; Pseudonym: Rengong) was a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher and reformist during the Qing Dynasty , who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements...
, became the main rival to the Nationalists.
The assembly convened for the first time on April 8 amid heated debate over the assassination. The Nationalists was divided over solutions on how to deal with Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
, the provisional president who was suspected of the crime. Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
led a faction to rebel against Yuan on July 12 but was completely defeated within two months. The National Assembly members were compromised by threats and bribes from Yuan. He confined them and forced them to elect him formal president. Next, he outlawed the Nationalists and expelled them from the assembly. Without a quorum, it could not convene so Yuan disbanded it on 10 January 1914.
| Party | Senate | House of Representatives |
Total seats | Seat percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationalist 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... 國民黨 |
123 | 269 | 392 | 45.06% |
| Republican 共和黨 | 55 | 120 | 175 | 20.11% |
| Unity 統一黨 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 2.76% |
| Democratic 民主黨 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 2.76% |
| Multi-party candidates | 38 | 147 | 185 | 21.26% |
| Nonpartisan | 44 | 26 | 70 | 8.05% |
| Totals | 274 | 596 | 870 | 100% |
See also
- History of the Republic of ChinaHistory of the Republic of ChinaThe History of the Republic of China begins after the Qing Dynasty in 1912, when the formation of the Republic of China put an end to over two thousand years of Imperial rule. The Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, ruled from 1644 to 1912...
- National Assembly of the Republic of ChinaNational Assembly of the Republic of ChinaThe 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...
- History of the KuomintangHistory of the Kuomintang- Early years :The Kuomintang traces its roots to the Revive China Society, which was founded in 1895 and merged with several other anti-monarchist societies as the Revolutionary Alliance in 1905...
- Progressive Party of China