Taiwan is still wondering what to make of the result of the former-ruling Kuomintang Party‘s first-ever serious – in that there was a choice of candidates – democratic election for party chairman. But as the result rolled in Saturday, it looked as if there was hardly any competition.
Ma Ying-jeou, mayor of Taipei City as well as a party vice chairman, captured 375,056 votes, some 72%, against 143,268 for his opponent Wang Jin-pyng, the legislative speaker and another party vice chairman.
It looked like a walkover for Ma. But while polls during the campaign had always suggested that Ma would win, the scale of his victory was unforeseen and for many in senior party positions in the party it was undesirable.