1996 election showed Taiwanese choose their own leaders: Ex-president

Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) Taiwan's first direct presidential election in 1996 was a defining moment in its transition to democracy and a declaration to the world that its people would choose their leaders and future, former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Friday.

In a pre-written address made public at a seminar marking the 30th anniversary of the country's first direct presidential election, Tsai, who served as Republic of China (Taiwan) president from 2016 to 2024, said the occasion was not about commemorating a single election.

"What we commemorate is the moment when the people of Taiwan first declared to the world that Taiwan's leader is determined by the people living on this land, and that Taiwan's future should likewise be chosen by its people," Tsai said in the speech, read at the forum by an event worker.

Following the historic vote, held on March 23, 1996, Taiwan's democracy did not stand still, Tsai said in the speech.

In 2000, Taiwan witnessed its first peaceful transfer of power between political parties through an election. Since then, Taiwan has experienced multiple transfers of power between different ruling parties.

The former president also said direct presidential elections in Taiwan have shaped a new political identity.

"We may come from diverse ethnic backgrounds, support different political parties, and hold differing views regarding the nation's name and future. Yet, through elections, we participate together in the same democratic system and collectively decide who governs the country," Tsai said in the speech.

That is why the international community today recognizes Taiwan not only for its semiconductor and technological prowess, but also for its freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, according to Tsai.

Four candidates contested the presidency in the 1996 election, with then-President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) winning with running mate, Lien Chan (連戰), of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT). The KMT ticket won 54 percent of the vote, or 5,813,699 votes.

In the previous eight Republic of China presidential elections held in Taiwan, the president and vice president were chosen by ballots cast by deputies to the now-abolished National Assembly.

The National Assembly was established in 1947, when the ROC government was still based in mainland China.

After the government relocated to Taiwan following the Chinese Civil War in 1949, National Assembly members elected in 1947-1948 held their seats for more than four decades in Taiwan during the period of martial law.

Speaking at Friday's seminar, former KMT heavyweight and current People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) said he took part in the cross-party negotiations leading up to the 1996 presidential election.

He said the Wild Lily student movement (野百合學運), a series of pro-democracy student demonstrations in March 1990, played an important role in pushing for direct popular elections in Taiwan.

Following the protests, then-President Lee agreed to convene the National Affairs Conference (國是會議) in the summer of 1990, bringing together then-opposition Democratic Progressive Party members and protesters to address their concerns.

The delegates laid the foundation for ending the tenure of the lifetime National Assembly members elected in 1947, paving the way for the 1996 direct presidential election and full re-elections of Taiwan's legislative bodies, according to Soong.

That made the first direct presidential election a great example of how democratic, cross-party communication could function successfully to resolve disputes rather than suppress different opinions, Soong said.

Taiwan's current political deadlock needs to learn from the example of the 1990s and find a feasible and mutually acceptable path to continue advancing Taiwan's sustainable development, he said.