independence movement in his 80s, to become the first chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party yesterday. Turnout was 47 percent.
The winner collected 73,828 out of 122,701 votes cast, or 61.2 percent.
Koo, who garnered 48,873 votes, or 39.8 percent, conceded defeat.
It was a victory for the middle-of-the roaders among DPP supporters. They apparently shunned Koo, whose insistence on Taiwan independence was one of the causes of the party's two consecutive election fiascoes.
The Kuomintang won a virtual three-fourths majority in the Legislative Yuan in the elections on last Jan. 12. Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang overwhelmingly defeated his DPP rival Frank Hsieh on March 22.
With Koo's defeat, the party that will formally be in opposition tomorrow heaved a collective sigh of relief that it would not split.
There were fears that Tsai's supporters in a coalition of three major factions would form splinters, if Koo were elected chairman of the party.
Two factions, headed by Yu Shyi-kun and Trong Chai, supported Koo. Yu is a former DPP chairman, who served once as premier. Chai is a veteran lawmaker and one of the heavyweights.
But Tsai, who served as a chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) from 2000 to 2004, will face a challenge of how to rally all members behind her to rebuild the all but down-and- out party.
It won't be easy.
At a joint press conference right after the election, Koo just formally conceded defeat and left, while his supporters protested it was an unfair election.
Terms of use