SVG’s Government congratulates newly elected Taiwan President & VP

L-R: Taiwan’s President-elect: William Lai Ching-te (left) and his running mate – Vice President-elect: Hsiao Bi-khim. Photo by Associated Press.

By Admin. Updated 2:24 p.m., Saturday, January 13, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) government has congratulated William Lai Ching-te as President-Elect and Hsiao Bi-khim as Vice-President-Elect of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on their election victories.

Both the politicians triumphed in the elections held today, January 13, 2024.

“Their political party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was impressive in these elections; we salute all its leaders, members, and supporters,” the Office of the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines stated in a press release today (January 13).

Preliminary results from Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) show that voter turnout was over 71 percent as more than 14 million voted.

William Lai Ching-te of the incumbent DPP received some 40 percent of the votes, Hou Yu-ih from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party received 33.49 percent of the votes while Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) received 26.45 percent of the votes cast.

The President-Elect Mr. Lai Ching-te, 64, is from the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) where he has served as Vice President.

When he is officially sworn in, he will succeed the current president Tsai Ing-wen who has been serving as president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 2016.

The governing Democratic Progressive Party – DPP is a proponent of Taiwan’s independence and sovereignty from mainland China.

The January 13 election victory is their third consecutive win, a historic one.

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In its press release, the Office of the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said: “We note the highly competitive nature of these elections, and deeply appreciate the important roles of the other Presidential candidates, Mr. Hou Yu-in of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Mr. Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), and their respective teams in maintaining Taiwan as a land of democracy and liberty”.

“Above all, the people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) are to be highly commended for their exemplary peaceful, and thoroughly democratic elections which constitute a model for some neighbouring countries in Asia,” the press release further stated.

“The government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines look forward to a further strengthening of our excellent relations with the government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan). President-Elect Lai Ching-te is known to us,” the press release stated.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has been one of Taiwan’s strongest allies in the Western Hemisphere, having maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of following other countries in switching to mainland China.

SVG has strongly advocated on the international scene for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organisation and other International bodies and has continually pushed for Taiwan’s sovereignty to be recognized by mainland China.

Taiwan has helped SVG over the years in education, health care, agriculture, and infrastructural development.

SVG established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan on August 15, 1981.

According to the press release, “the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. The Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves has already transmitted his congratulations, orally, to the President-Elect and his team. Our Prime Minister has signalled his intention to attend the formal swearing-in ceremony of President-Elect Lai Ching-te in May 2024 in Taiwan”.