Taiwan:Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang Nationalist Party (KMT) scored a landslide victory over the ruling party in legislative elections on the island on Saturday, boosting their chances of taking back the presidency in elections in March and signalling better ties with China.
The KMT picked up 81 of the 113 seats in the Taiwanese parliament, giving them 72 per cent of the votes, the central election commission said. They had previously held 49 per cent of the seats. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) picked up just 27 seats or 24 per cent of the tally, down from 42 per cent.
The election results mark a disastrous loss for president Chen Shui-bian of the DPP, who has to give up his post in May after serving two four-year terms.
Mr Chen said he would resign as party chairman to take responsibility for what he called the "biggest defeat since the founding of the DPP." Mr Chen is despised by Beijing for his pro-independence views - China considers the island a renegade province to be taken back by force if necessary.
A KMT presidency would herald better relations with China as the party favours closer economic ties and more dialogue with Beijing.
The KMT, which once ruled all of China under Chiang Kai-shek until a civil war brought the Communists to power and forced the party to flee in 1949, now hopes to sustain the momentum to unseat Mr Chen on March 22nd.