Taiwan's Ma extends opinion poll lead after acquittal
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's popularity ratings increased after a court cleared him of corruption-linked charges, putting him way ahead of his opponent in March's election, newspaper polls showed on Saturday.
The surveys were conducted after Taiwan's high court on Friday cleared Ma of prosecutors' charges accusing him of misusing T$11.176 million ($344,000) while serving as Taipei mayor. A lower court had exonerated him in August.
A record 45 percent of respondents said they would pick Ma and his running mate, Vincent Siew, both from the main opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), in the presidential elections on March 22, the China Times newspaper said.
 |
Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou speaks during a news conference after the appeals court verdict on his corruption trial in Taipei December 28, 2007. (REUTERS/Pichi Chuang) |
Ma's closest opponent, Frank Hsieh of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had 24 percent of the 805 respondents supporting him and his running mate, ex-Premier Su Tseng-chang, the poll in the Chinese-language newspaper showed.
In a separate survey conducted by the United Daily News, 52 percent of the people who participated in the poll supported the Ma-Siew ticket, while Hsieh and Su had 23 percent.
The United Daily News said Ma's lead had increased by four percentage points from an October survey.
Ma and the KMT party are generally regarded as more China-friendly than the DPP, which favours independence. That fact has led many to believe that relations with China will warm if Ma is elected president.
China is often suspicious of incumbent President Chen Shui-bian, who must step down due to term limits next year.
China sees democratic Taiwan as part of its territory since the civil war of 1949, which sent the once dominant KMT fleeing to the island. It has threatened to use force, if necessary, to bring Taiwan back.
Copyright © 2010 Reuters
News Poll
- Malaysians express their anger over rape incident
- Angry robber takes it out on baby
- Low’s interview captures world attention
- Girl in coma after fighting off would-be rapists
- Police hope for more witnesses to come forward as man remains unhelpful
- Get-rich-quick firm raided
- Facebook users slam alleged rapist
- Chua: Stop speculating on Ling’s case
- DPM: Charge against Ling proves the legal system is fair
- 5 women of Chinese nationality detained in anti-vice raid
- Low’s interview captures world attention
- Get-rich-quick firm raided
- Girl in coma after fighting off would-be rapists
- DPM: Charge against Ling proves the legal system is fair
- Malaysians express their anger over rape incident
- Asyraf wins Imam Muda title
- Angry robber takes it out on baby
- Aishwarya Rai in town today
- Facebook users slam alleged rapist
- RM1.32bil for 50,000 homes to be built by 2012
RSS