Polls weaken Taiwan's China-sceptic government

Significance

At stake were 22 mayoral and county magistrate offices and 11,025 seats in local governments. The local outcome will be used as a bellwether heading into elections for parliament and the presidency in January 2020. In recognition of the party’s poor performance, President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as party chair (though she remains president). Seven of ten referendum questions held in conjunction with the balloting were adopted. They are largely at odds with the positions of the administration and will limit the DPP’s ability to further its policy agenda.

Impacts

• A major personnel shakeup in the Tsai administration is likely to happen in coming weeks.
• More referendums will bedevil policymaking in future, acting as a restraint on the agendas of elected governments.
• Taiwan will continue to ban food from regions affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, despite wanting closer relations with Japan.