Local elections were held for the first time in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

by the Japanese colonial government on 22 November 1935, electing half of the city and township councillors. The other half were appointed by the prefectural governors. Only men aged 25 and above and who had paid a tax of five yen or more a year were allowed to vote, which was only 28,000 out of the 4 million population. The turnout rate was 95%.

Background

Before 1935, all of the city councilors were appointed by the Japanese colonial government. Since 1921, many Taiwanese political groups, including the

Taiwanese People's Party The Taiwanese People's Party, founded in 1927, was nominally Taiwan under Japanese rule, Taiwan's first political party, preceding the founding of the Taiwanese Communist Party by nine months. Initially a party with members holding moderate ...

led by

Chiang Wei-shui Chiang Wei-shui (; 6 August 1890 – 5 August 1931) was a Taiwanese physician and activist. He was a founding member of the Taiwanese Cultural Association and the Taiwanese People's Party. He is seen as one of the most important figures in Ta ...

and the led by

Lin Hsien-tang Lin Hsien-tang (; 22 October 1881 – 8 September 1956) was a Taiwanese politician and activist who founded several political organizations and sat on the Japanese House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. Early life and family Lin Hsien-tang's earl ...

, asked for a Taiwanese council. The Japanese government did not accept, but held city council elections instead as a compromise. Taiwanpaper

References

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

1935 in Taiwan 1935 elections in Asia {{asia-election-stub