KMT suffers setback

The DPP regained control of Yilan from the KMT, which in the last elections four years ago ended the opposition camp's 24 years of rule in the northeastern county.

In Hualien, the victory of independent Fu Kun-chi was an embarrassment to the KMT, which had refused to nominate the former party member for the eastern county's magistrate seat because of his alleged involvement in corruption.

The KMT's official candidate, Tu Li-hwa, lost by a wide margin to Fu, who had been expelled from the party for going ahead with his decision to run.

The political topography did not change much, as the KMT and DPP managed to keep most of the counties and cities currently under their control. The KMT won 12 of the 17 local governments up for grabs, while the DPP gained four.

But the KMT suffered a drop in its overall support. The DPP obtained 45.32 percent of votes; only slightly shy of the KMT's 47.88 percent.

In the last local elections and the 2008 presidential elections, the DPP only had support of less than 40 percent.

President and KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou admitted the decline in local government seats and vote share was a “warning” that the party would have to address.

Ma said the outcome was not “ideal.” But he stressed that voters still showed trust in the KMT amid the economic recession and high unemployment, allowing it to continue its control of 12 local governments.

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