Tsai Ing-wen regains some ground but youth vote may hold the key to Taiwan’s election

After she is officially named DPP candidate for next year’s poll, president says young people ‘will be the most critical factor’

Tsai has managed to use opposition to ‘one country, two systems’ and Hong Kong’s extradition bill controversy to win back support, according to analyst

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Tsai Ing-wen has emphasised the need to safeguard the self-ruled island’s sovereignty against persistent threats from Beijing. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 2:30pm, 23 Jun 2019Updated: 11:26pm, 23 Jun 2019

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s re-election bid is likely to get a boost from the extradition bill controversy in Hong Kong amid fears over growing pressure from Beijing, but young voters may hold the key to next year’s poll.

After Tsai was officially named last week as the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party candidate for the presidential election in January, she emphasised the need to safeguard the self-ruled island’s sovereignty against persistent threats from Beijing – and acknowledged that the youth vote was crucial.

“We all must realise that the DPP must respond to the needs and aspirations of young people … who will be the most critical factor in this democratic election,” she said on Wednesday after defeating former premier William Lai Ching-te in the primary race.

The primary was based on a public opinion survey carried out from June 10 to 12 by telephone. Tsai received 35.67 per cent support, while Lai got 27.48 per cent. The poll results also put Tsai ahead of her two possible challengers in the presidential election – Han Kuo-yu of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang, who got 24.51 per cent support, and independent Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je at 22.7 per cent. The KMT presidential primary will be held next month.

Possible KMT challenger Han Kuo-yu is trailing Tsai Ing-wen in opinion polls. Photo: AFP

A separate opinion poll released by the Green Party on Wednesday had Tsai as the front runner in the 2020 election, with 31.8 per cent of respondents supporting her run for a second term, while 28.1 per cent backed Han and 26 per cent for Ko.

Tsai Ing-wen regains some ground but youth vote may hold the key to Taiwan’s election

After she is officially named DPP candidate for next year’s poll, president says young people ‘will be the most critical factor’ Tsai has managed to use opposition to ‘one country, two systems’ and Hong Kong’s extradition bill controversy to win back support, according to analyst

After she is officially named DPP candidate for next year’s poll, president says young people ‘will be the most critical factor’

Tsai has managed to use opposition to ‘one country, two systems’ and Hong Kong’s extradition bill controversy to win back support, according to analyst