Debate over Taiwan's presidential election system: Hsu Hsin-liang says Lai would still win under two-round voting

Sep 11, 2026

Taiwan's scholars and veteran politicians are arguing over whether to switch presidential elections to a two-round runoff, a change that would reshape how minority governments happen but likely would not have changed the last result.

  • A forum marking 30 years of direct presidential elections opened with a call to replace the single-round vote with a two-round runoff, to stop presidents winning without majority support.
  • Former DPP chairman Hsu Hsin-liang pushed back, saying his party is only a minority on paper and would still have won in 2024 under a runoff.
  • He blamed the 1997 constitutional revisions, rushed and unable to copy France's dual-leadership system cleanly, for today's split government.
  • Hsu also argued opposition parties avoid a no-confidence vote because they know the public is still behind the ruling party.
  • PFP chairman James Soong urged both sides to stop settling old scores and said majorities must respect minorities, noting he would have won in 2000 under a different system.

Outlook: The debate over adding a runoff round is likely to stay academic for now, since any change would require constitutional amendment and the ruling party has little reason to back it.

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