Attention turns to presidential poll after Taiwan ruling party thrashing

Chiang Wan-an, Tapei mayor-elect, left, waves to members of the public following the Taipei mayoral election in Taipei, Taiwan, on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. Chiang declared victory in the race to be mayor of Taiwan's capital, as the ruling party suffered a resounding defeat in island-wide local elections a little more than a year before a new president is chosen. - Bloomberg

TAIPEI, Nov 27 (Reuters): Attention is turning to Taiwan's next presidential election in 2024 after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was thrashed at local elections on Saturday, with President Tsai Ing-wen's move to focus on China backfiring with voters.

The main opposition party the Kuomintang, or KMT, romped to victory in the mayoral and county elections, winning 13 of the 21 seats up for grabs, including the wealthy and cosmopolitan capital Taipei, in line with expectations.