Metro
Date: August 15, 2020
By: Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT), which traditionally favours close ties with China, was routed in a key mayoral by-election on Saturday, a vote overshadowed by turmoil in Hong Kong and tensions with Beijing.

The KMT, under its youthful new leader, Johnny Chiang, has been trying to reinvent itself since being trounced by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in January’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

The by-election in the southern city of Kaohsiung was called after its KMT mayor, Han Kuo-yu, was removed from office by a massive margin in a recall vote in June, his opponents charging he had little interest in the city.

The DPP’s Chen Chi-mai, a former vice premier, won 70% of the votes, thrashing KMT candidate Jane Lee, though only about half of electors turned out.    [FULL  STORY]