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April 28, 2011

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Taiwan's DPP chair to fight election

TAIWAN'S opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday chose its chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen as its candidate for the island's leadership elections.

Tsai, a polished English speaker who holds a law doctorate from the London School of Economics, will run against current leader Ma Ying-jeou.

In a sign of a close-run contest, a poll taken shortly after the DPP announcement by the Prediction Market Center of Taiwan's Chengchi University gave the opposition party a 50.5 percent probability of winning the poll and the ruling Kuomintang 49.9 percent probability.

The election for Taiwan's leader will be held next January.

A mainland spokesman warned the DPP yesterday that it risked serious problems if it pressed for "independence."

Yang Yi, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said any policy on cross-Strait ties if based on a pro-independence standing will jeopardize the exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the mainland.

"(Such policy) under whatever kind of guise will hinder the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and impact on the stability of the cross-Strait situation," Yang said.

Tsai will be the first woman to stand for leader in Taiwan.

Market players, however, favour a victory by Ma, which would indicate a continuity to the pro-mainland economic policies that have been behind the island's strong growth. Markets see the DPP as bringing uncertainty, a view reinforced by a lack of any concrete economic policy on the part of its candidates.

Stock investors are mostly betting that Ma will get re-elected, and such expectations will lift Taiwan stocks through the second half of this year.



 

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