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Taiwan media greet victory for democracy
News-hungry shoppers watched the count in an electrical shop
Taiwan's media have greeted the transfer of power from the Nationalist Party to a pro-independence president, Chen Shui-bian, as a sign of the island's growing democratic maturity.
But they warned that Mr Chen had been elected by a minority of the electorate, and had yet to prove himself.
"This is the first time in Taiwan's history we have had a change of power. From a political development angle this result can be seen as an election of democracy," the United Daily News said in an editorial.
Stability
But it said there were uncertainties ahead, both concerning domestic politics and cross-strait relations.
"Chen only won 39.3% of the votes cast, meaning 60.7% of Taiwanese did not vote for him," the paper said.
In Taiwan's second democratic presidential election on Saturday, independent James Soong finished a close second to Mr Chen with 36.84% of the vote.
Former Vice-President Lien Chan, candidate of the once-powerful Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, which ruled Taiwan for 50 years after losing a civil war to China's communists, came third with 23.1%.
The United Daily News suggested that Mr Chen would have to moderate his support for independence in order to gain the support of a majority of Taiwanese citizens, and ease cross-strait tensions with a belligerent China.
"Chen Shui-bian should strictly identify himself as a people's president by executing his promises to the people in maintaining peace and stability of the island," it said.
The China Times said Mr Chen's victory was a milestone, but also said it was important he should stick to his campaign promise to make stability his priority.
"Chen's milestone victory shows Taiwan entering a new era of democracy. This is the first change of power in Taiwan," the newspaper editorial said.
Party split
On the eve of the election, Mr Chen vowed to stop participating in any activities of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) while he was president, in an attempt to distance himself from a pro-independence position.
The China Times attributed Mr Chen's success to a split in the Nationalist Party vote following the row between outgoing president and party chairman Lee Teng-hui and James Soong.
The United Daily News urged the Nationalist Party to speed up internal reforms in order to resume playing an important political role in Taiwan.
"If Lee Teng-hui continues to dominate the KMT [Nationalist Party], using the party as a weapon to secure his personal power, then KMT will be come a political gang without any future," it said.
The China Post said the election outcome was a "dream come true for the Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan's pro-independence political activists".
Beijing view
But for the Nationalist Party and the authorities in mainland China Mr Chen's election was "their worst nightmare".
In Hong Kong two left-wing newspapers reflected Beijing's wait-and-see attitude.
The Wen Wei Po quoted unnamed experts in Beijing as saying they would carefully examine the words and actions of Chen from now until his inauguration.
They would also examine his inauguration speech for any signs that Mr Chen was leaning towards the "state-to-state" formula for bilateral relations proposed by outgoing President Lee Teng-hui last year.
In an editorial the Ta Kung Pao said: "The direction of cross-strait relations will be determined by whether or not Chen Shui-bian makes independence his policy."
But they warned that Mr Chen had been elected by a minority of the electorate, and had yet to prove himself.
"This is the first time in Taiwan's history we have had a change of power. From a political development angle this result can be seen as an election of democracy," the United Daily News said in an editorial.
Stability
But it said there were uncertainties ahead, both concerning domestic politics and cross-strait relations.
"Chen only won 39.3% of the votes cast, meaning 60.7% of Taiwanese did not vote for him," the paper said.
 The news was on sale in New York |
Former Vice-President Lien Chan, candidate of the once-powerful Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, which ruled Taiwan for 50 years after losing a civil war to China's communists, came third with 23.1%.
The United Daily News suggested that Mr Chen would have to moderate his support for independence in order to gain the support of a majority of Taiwanese citizens, and ease cross-strait tensions with a belligerent China.
"Chen Shui-bian should strictly identify himself as a people's president by executing his promises to the people in maintaining peace and stability of the island," it said.
The China Times said Mr Chen's victory was a milestone, but also said it was important he should stick to his campaign promise to make stability his priority.
"Chen's milestone victory shows Taiwan entering a new era of democracy. This is the first change of power in Taiwan," the newspaper editorial said.
Party split
On the eve of the election, Mr Chen vowed to stop participating in any activities of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) while he was president, in an attempt to distance himself from a pro-independence position.
The China Times attributed Mr Chen's success to a split in the Nationalist Party vote following the row between outgoing president and party chairman Lee Teng-hui and James Soong.
The United Daily News urged the Nationalist Party to speed up internal reforms in order to resume playing an important political role in Taiwan.
"If Lee Teng-hui continues to dominate the KMT [Nationalist Party], using the party as a weapon to secure his personal power, then KMT will be come a political gang without any future," it said.
The China Post said the election outcome was a "dream come true for the Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan's pro-independence political activists".
Beijing view
But for the Nationalist Party and the authorities in mainland China Mr Chen's election was "their worst nightmare".
In Hong Kong two left-wing newspapers reflected Beijing's wait-and-see attitude.
The Wen Wei Po quoted unnamed experts in Beijing as saying they would carefully examine the words and actions of Chen from now until his inauguration.
They would also examine his inauguration speech for any signs that Mr Chen was leaning towards the "state-to-state" formula for bilateral relations proposed by outgoing President Lee Teng-hui last year.
In an editorial the Ta Kung Pao said: "The direction of cross-strait relations will be determined by whether or not Chen Shui-bian makes independence his policy."
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