The Republic of China on Taiwan holds its historic first direct presidential election, with incumbent Lee Teng-hui being re-elected, marking a significant milestone in Taiwan's democratic development.
It was the first direct presidential election in Taiwan, officially the Republic of China.
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In the previous eight elections the president and vice president had been chosen in a ballot of the deputies of the National Assembly, in accordance with the 1947 constitution. These were the first free and direct elections in the history of Taiwan.
Lee Teng-hui was re-elected President and Lien Chan as Vice President. Lee stood as the candidate of the ruling Kuomintang.
He won a majority of 54% of the votes cast. His election followed missile tests by the People's Republic of China (PRC). These were an attempt to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate and discourage them from supporting Lee, however the tactic backfired. Voter turnout was 76.0%.