Stakes high for Taiwan’s hard-won democracy as island tipped to throw out ruling party and elect first woman president

Taiwanese voters are expected to elect opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen as president when the island goes to the polls on January 16, in a move many believe will strengthen its hard-won democracy.

With the island preparing to hold its sixth presidential election since 1996, opinion polls suggest voters fed up with a lacklustre economy and the performance of the Kuomintang over the past eight years will gravitate towards Tsai, chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party, over Eric Chu Li-luan, the KMT chairman.

If Tsai were elected, not only would she become the island’s first female president – the DPP, which ruled the island from 2000 to 2008, would have unseated the KMT for the second time.

This would underline that transitions of power are normal in Taiwan’s system and therefore strengthen the island’s democracy, observers believe.

Such a result may have repercussions farther afield, by inspiring people in Hong Kong and mainland China who are increasingly demanding democratic practices of their own.

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A victory by Tsai would also impact cross-strait relations, which have improved greatly since President Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT took office in 2008.