In front of the KMT headquarters, two big screens broadcast the live vote count. Some chairs remained empty even when party leader Eric Chu turned up to apologise and announced his resignation.
Around flags of the Huang Fu-hsing, the most loyal KMT branches composed of military veterans sat aged supporters in silence, some in tears.
“I expected we would be losing, but I never expected it would be this disastrous,” said Lin Tzung-yu, a supporter.
“But I have confidence that the DPP is bad enough to screw it up in the next four years, at the cost of all of Taiwan. Taiwan is doomed.”
Before Chu’s appearance, performers sang sad songs. The MC called on supporters to read Invictus, an 1875 poem by William Henley, saying it had inspired Nelson Mandela in adversity. However, there wasn’t much of a response. The grey-haired veterans and their families didn’t seem to understand English.
