Taiwan opposition leader's popularity soars after election

Taipei - The popularity of Taiwan opposition leader Tsai Ying-wen soared by 18 percentage points with his party victories in local elections, a newspaper said on Monday. According to the poll of 1,066 adults by the United Daily News, the popularity of Tsai Ying-wen, chairwoman of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), surged from 27 per cent in May to 43 per cent after Saturday's elections.

The popularity of President Ma Ying-jeou, who is also chairman of the ruling Nationalist Party, remained at 33 per cent. Ma's rating had already declined from 52 per cent in May.

Support for Ma was 66 per cent when he took office in May 2008.

The DPP's election win paves the way for Tsai to run for Taipei mayor next year, and to challenge Ma in the 2012 presidential election, the newspaper said.

Tsai has not declared plans to stand for either office, but she told reporters that she would be candidate for mayor if the party nominates her.

In the 17 mayoral and magistrate races, the DPP held on to its three seats and won another in Ilan County, a traditional stronghold of the ruling party.

The KMT retained 12 of its 14 seats, losing one to the DPP and the other to a party dissident.

The results were viewed as reflecting some dissatisfaction with Ma's governance and his policy towards Beijing, causing worries that China might use its economic might to force the island to reunify.

Analysts said Ma may have to o revise his China policies to win back public support.

Since his inauguration in 2008, Taiwan and China have held three rounds of dialogue and signed a dozen pacts on opening air, sea, postal and tourism links.

The two sides are expected to hold a fourth dialogue in Taichung, central Taiwan, on December 22 to sign four more pacts and to start talks on a far-reaching economic cooperation agreement.

Taipei and Beijing plan to sign the treaty, which is similar to a free trade agreement, during the next dialogue to be held in China next spring.