| Abstract | In the Local Elections of November 29th, 1997, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan's main independence movement found itself in control of 12 out of the country's 23 country (xian) city (shi) governments. The Kuomintang (KMT), by contrast, won only eight constituencies this time. The DPP picked up more votes than the KMT (43.3 percent to 42.1 percent), for the first time since it was founded in 1986. Not only has the KMT lost its status as the island's main party, after 52 years of domination, but the DPP will now exercise day-to-day management over 71.5 percent of the total population of the Republic of China, 69 percent of local finances, and 83 percent of fiscal revenues. The article analyses the causes of the KMT's defeat and the consequences of the election. |
|---|
