-News Photo Album-
Taiwan Presidential Election 2016
Photos: Regina Tsz-Ching Lam
Date: Jan. 14-16, 2016
A young audience of the DPP’s campaign rally holds up the flag of the party’s presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen.
After former President Ma Ying-jeou had been in power for eight years, Taiwan held a presidential election on Jan. 16, 2016, to elect its next leader. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s candidate Tsai Ing-wen defeated Eric Chu of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), becoming the first female president of Taiwan. As KMT, which advocated improving ties with China, suffered a historic loss, many saw the election result as a major vote for a more distanced relationship with China.
The following photos captured the joy and sadness of the winning and losing camps.
Tsai Ing-wen, the DPP’s presidential candidate, waves at supporters at a campaign rally in Changhua, Taiwan.
Supporters of the opposition DPP cheer for Tsai Ing-Wen at the final campaign rally in Taipei before the election.
Eric Chu (center), the KMT’s presidential candidate, leaves the stage with his wife Kao Wan-ching (right) after he concedes defeat.
Zhang, a long-time supporter of the KMT, said she was disappointed by the election result.
Supporters of Eric Chu listen to his concession speech outside of his campaign headquarters.