Divided Taiwan to vote in key test for ruling party

When Taiwan goes to the polls Saturday in local elections, it will not only be a test for President Tsai Ing-wen's embattled government but a crucial vote on divisive issues that could rile China.

The ballot includes an unprecedented 10 referendums, one of which calls for Taiwan to change the name it uses at sports events, a proposal that has already angered Beijing.

Also on the ballot are pro- and anti-gay rights referendums, reflecting tension between conservative and liberal groups as the government drags its heels to implement a Constitutional Court decision that legalised gay marriage over a year ago.

The island-wide vote on November 24 covers seats from village level upwards, with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) currently controlling 13 of the 22 cities and counties that will elect new chiefs, including four of the six key mayoral battlegrounds.

But opinion polls tip the party to lose ground as resentment grows over a stagnant economy and reforms that have included cutting back pensions and public holidays.

Although Taiwan's GDP grew 2.89 per cent in 2017 and is forecast to increase 2.69 per cent this year, voters say the benefits have not trickled down to ordinary people, with salaries failing to keep up with the rising cost of living.

"Economy matters the most to me," shop owner CC Tseng, 71, told AFP in Taipei.

Effie Gao, a 50-year-old Taipei resident, added: "Boosting the economy is the most important thing, instead of promoting political ideologies."
"Of course, China will care, will make a lot of noise, and will enhance its own propaganda."