Beijing keeps a watchful eye on Taiwan's weekend elections

Beijing is keeping a close eye on Taiwan's weekend polls, which will see a record 11,130 public servants selected for nine types of offices, ranging from village wardens to municipality mayors.

Despite the local nature of the island's elections, Beijing can by no means ignore the results as the impact would most likely affect the 2016 presidential election and hence cross-strait relations, analysts said.

Various opinion polls have indicated that the mainland-friendly ruling Kuomintang would suffer setbacks in key races as a result of growing disappointment with President Ma Ying-jeou's administration.

The unfavourable poll results have prompted the KMT to try to mobilise some of the 700,000 mainland-based Taiwanese businessmen to return to the island to vote, Ho Hsi-hao, former head of the Taiwanese Businessmen Association in Zhangzhou , said.

KMT vice-chairman John Chiang Hsiao-yen held a rally attended by 2,000 people in Dongguan on November 23 to garner support for Taipei mayoral hopeful Sean Lien Sheng-wen, son of KMT honorary chairman Lien Chan, and Taichung Mayor Jason Hu Chih-chiang, who is seeking re-election.

"President Ma and Lien were seen through videos seeking the businessmen's support," Ho said.