ROC presidential election, 1996

The Election for the 9th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China (第九任中華民國總統 、副總統選舉), the first ever direct elections for President and Vice President of the Republic of China on Taiwan, occurred on March 23, 1996. The previous eight ROC Presidential and Vice Presidential elections under 1947 Constitution were by the deputies of the National Assembly.

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 if he were elected Vice President.

Related Topics:
Kuomintang - Lee Teng-hui - Lien Chan - Premier

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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.

Related Topics:
Democratic Progressive Party - Hsu Hsin-liang - Lin Yi-hsiung - Yu Ching - Peng Ming-min - Frank Hsieh - Mainland China - One-China Policy - 228 Incident - Taiwan independence

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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.

Related Topics:
Lin Yang-kang - Hau Pei-tsun - Taichung - New Party

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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.

Related Topics:
Chen Li-an - Wang Ching-feng - Chen Cheng - Buddhist - Fo Guang Shan

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