1964 Taiwanese Local Elections

Local elections were held in Taiwan on 26 April 1964, the fifth nation-wide elections in post-war Taiwan, electing all 21 mayors of cities and magistrates of counties with a four-year tenure. Fuchien Province, then under military administration, was not up for election.

This is the first local election since the leading liberal figures were detained after Lei Chen and others of the Free China Journal attempted to form an opposition party. The ruling Kuomintang (or nationalist, KMT) suffered minor defeat, losing two magisterial or mayoral seat while keeping 17. Taipei and Tainan were won by Tangwai candidates, while China Democratic Socialist Party (CDSP) and Young China Party (YCP) each secured one administrative division.

Summary

The list below shows the statistics of party membership of candidates standing in the election. Coloured box refers to the party membership of elected mayor or magistrate.

Re-elected incumbents are: Lin Fan-wang (Keelung City), Peng Jui-lu (Hsinchu County), Lin Wei-kung (Miaoli County), Lu Shih-ming (Changhua County), Chen Chi-chuan (Kaohsiung City).

Detailed results

Taipei

Kuomintang was said to have been warned by the United States against manipulating the election, after the Korean April Revolution in 1960 which was sparked by rigged presidential election. Considering the support of Tangwai movement was also growing, the KMT decided to let Tangwai supervise the vote counting.

The KMT was divided over the endorsement as the incumbent Huang Chi-jui was briefly suspended from office for three years during fraud probe, later acquitted. Eventually former city councillor Chou Pai-lien (周百鍊) was nominated by the party.

For the Tangwai camp, former mayor Henry Kao, who withdrew at the last moment in the previous election, decided to run for the office again, citing the KMT's concession on counting supervision. However, the authorities bribed Kao's campaign team, including Huang Hsin-chieh, later leader of Tangwai movement, by offering a free tour to the south until the end of the election. Others in the team were rumoured to have turned against Kao.

Other than Kao, Chen Yi-sung (陳逸松) and Li Sheng-yuan (李鉎源) also registered as independent candidates, raising concern of vote spitting within Tangwai bloc planned by the KMT. Li, a suspected party agent later revealed by Kao's team, was even able to commemorate the February 28 uprising, a political taboo for the regime, further strengthening the accusation. Chen later wrote in his memoir that he ran in the election because Kao told him he is not planning to run for office and pledged to support his campaign. Another independent, Li Chien-sheng (李建生) who is a friend of Kao, joined the race only because Kao wanted to ensure all planned 550 polling stations could be supervised by Tangwai's volunteers, as each candidate can only send 292 personnel.

Regarded as one of the most competitive poll, Kuomintang launched an all-scale smear campaign against Kao through media and schools. ''Central Daily News'', KMT's party media, reported scandals of Kao for days, but was seen as ineffective to hamper Kao.

On the voting day, electoral frauds were again suspected as vote counting briefly suspended. Members in Kao's team were also given torches in case the authorities created blackouts to stuff ballots.

As a result, Kao was again elected as the mayor of Taipei with 51% of votes, defeating KMT's Chou.

Keelung

Yilan

Taoyuan

Under rotating leadership between local factions of Taoyuan, Chen Chang-shou was nominated by the Kuomintang to hold the magisterial seat, while CDSP member Huang Yu-chiao (黃玉嬌) ran as an independent and was supported by Hakka constituents.

Despite Huang Yu-chiao presented evidence of electoral frauds, the judge declined to overturn the election result by claiming that the rigged votes could not impact the election result.

Hsinchu

Miaoli

Taichung

Changhua

Lu Shih-ming (呂世明) from KMT was endorsed by the party and the powerful local camp of "red faction". The rivalry "white faction" was indecisive on the representative after three successive heavyweights gave up in just three weeks, finally settled the matter by sending doctor Hung Tiao (洪挑). The unsuccessful negotiation brokered by the Kuomintang between the two camps paved way for one of the fiercest elections in Changhua's election.

Shih Hsi-hsun of the Tangwai, whose three magisterial bids all failed, supported his former rival Lu for re-election, which was believed to be decisive in his narrow victory but also infuriated the "white faction".

Nantou

Yunlin

Wishing to discourage the local factions, Kuomintang nominated outsider Liao Chen-hsiang, a civil servant in Taiwan Government, in a surprise. While the public was unfamiliar Liao as he had long lived in Taipei, the local factions endorsed Lin Heng-sheng, secretary of incumbent Lin Chin-seng who was also chosen as the successor.

Lin, with quite a certain victory in hand, did not enter the race after persuaded by a third party, while Liao's father announced donating NT$1 million as scholarship as a show of willingness to serve Yunlin, which could be an act of electoral bribery. Running unopposed, Liao was successfully elected. Lin would succeed Liao nine years later.

Chiayi

Tainan

Initially three candidates seek KMT's nomination for the magisterial election: Liu Po-wen, an official in county government representing the "sea faction"; Liao Chien-ting, Speaker of the County Council from the "mountain faction"; Li Yao-chien, doctor and former party agent also from "mountain faction". Just before receiving the anticipated endorsement from the party, Liao received a threatening letter with a bullet, forcing him to withdraw. The party later agreed to an open competition between Liu and Li.

Although both supported by heavyweights (incumbent and former magistrate), with more political donation, Liu defeated Li, whose controversial background damaged his popularity, in a landslide. The new magistrate was attacked for allegedly lying his education history during and after election by Li, and was eventually resolved in court by ruling in favour of him.

In the middle of his term, Hsin Wen-bing intended to resign as he could not withstand Kuomintang's bureaucratic pressure, but was urged to stay on by the Taiwan Government. As the election approached, KMT favoured Hsin for re-election. Nevertheless, Hsin decided not to seek for another term after believing the political comeback of Tangwai's Yeh Ting-kuei is likely successfully.

Kuomintang reluctantly supported Provincial Councillor Huang Yeh (黃業) after multiple candidates declined to run. During election, Huang was engulfed in financial difficulties and was declared bankrupt, damaging his reputation. Yeh was elected with over 51% of votes, defeating the other three candidates, including CDSP's, and starting his third non-consecutive mayoral term.

Kaohsiung

Yu Teng-fa, who was elected in the last election as a Tangwai candidate, was ousted after he cut spending of local Kuomintang, and was barred from running again. He therefore supported his son Yu Jui-yen (余瑞言) in the election. Kuomintang again nominated Tai Liang-ching (戴良慶) to run. Tai captured 58% of votes and defeated inexperience Yu.

Pingtung

Kuomintang surprisingly nominated Chang Feng-hsu from the powerful "Chang faction", outgoing Provincial Councillor and son of inaugural magistrate Chang Shan-chung, breaking the precedence of nominating incumbent for re-election.

Tangwai movement endorsed County Councillor Huang Chen-san (黃振三) to challenge Chang, forcing the first competitive election in Pingtung. Huang, who also garner support from incumbent Lee Shih-chang and anti-Chang "Lin faction", gave much pressure to Chang Feng-hsu. As results showed, despite winning the election, Chang lost in nearly all towns except the strongholds in aboriginal settlements.

Hualien

Taitung

Two potential candidates, Lin Shang-ying (林尚英) from "Wu faction" and Hsu Tien-chih (許添枝) from "Huang faction", but both withdrew as involved in separate criminal probes. The party lastly nominated township chief Chang Chen-hsiung (張振雄) who was unaffiliated to either faction. Huang Shun-hsing from Young China Party also ran in the poll with public's support.

Risking expulsion from KMT, Lin ran in the election and formed an alliance with Huang to protest against party's nomination. Huang was expected to revoke his registration, giving way to Lin and for himself to run in next year's provincial election. However, Lin's candidacy was rejected by the authorities as he was suspended pending investigation, becoming the only candidate failed the vetting in the local elections. Seen as a confrontation from the local party, the "Wu faction" turned against the party, while "Huang faction" also supported Huang Shun-hsing in low profile.

As all Kuomintang candidates were elected in the past Taitung elections, Chang was widely expected to assume office as the new magistrate, and neither he nor the local party pay much effort in campaign. However, in a huge setback for the KMT, Huang beat Chang by around 4,000 votes, or 6%.

Penghu

By-elections

By-elections were held in Keelung and Nantou after two leaders died in office in 1965 and 1967 respectively. Kuomintang held the Nantou seat while flipping from CDSP in Keelung.

Notes

References

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{{Taiwanese elections

1964 elections in Asia