Taiwan elections "partly unfair," international observers say

Jan 15, 2012, 9:41 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan's elections were 'mostly free but partly unfair,' according to a preliminary report released Sunday by a group of international observers.

Saturday's election saw incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou defeat opposition candidate Tsai Ing-wen by 6 percentage points.

In the report compiled by the International Committee for Free Elections in Taiwan, the observers cited several factors that could have helped Ma gain more votes than the opposition.

They included widespread media reports of vote-buying, the misuse of government power to investigate the opposition, and a large imbalance of campaign funds in favor of Ma's Nationalists.

'The fairness of the election is therefore weakened in a context where resources amongst the parties are so unequal,' the report said.

The report cited most of these behaviors as originating from Taiwan's days of authoritarian rule, when the Nationalists were fully in charge.

In addition, the report slammed Douglas Paal, the former director of the American Institute in Taiwan, for foreign interference in the election.

Paal visited the island and openly endorsed Ma on local television two days before the vote. He was invited to Taiwan by the Prospect Foundation, a group that is affiliated with the government.

His comments received an open condemnation from Frank Murkowski, the former governor and senator of the US state of Alaska, who led the international delegation of observers.

The group promised a more comprehensive report after Taiwan's Chinese New Year holiday ends in late January.