TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former Legislative Vice Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu was elected the first-ever female leader of the Kuomintang Saturday, winning more than half the votes in the first round.

All through the campaign, Hung, 67, had called for an absolute majority in order not to waste time as the KMT turns from a long-term ruling party into the main opposition. In the absence of any candidate winning at least 50 percent Saturday, there would have been a second round on April 16 between the two leading candidates.

Hung received 78,829 votes or 56.16 percent, defeating acting chairwoman Huang Min-hui, who received 46,341 votes or 33.02 percent, Taipei City councilor Lee Hsin, with 7,604 votes or 5.42 percent, and legislator Apollo Chen with 6,784 votes or 4.83 percent.

Despite the relatively good weather, the turnout was especially low at only 41.61 percent of the more than 337,000 party members eligible to vote at the 476 polling stations across the country, reports said.

Hung will only serve until late July 2017, for the remainder of former chairman Eric Liluan Chu’s term, as he resigned following his defeat in the January 16 presidential election.

Last year, Hung was originally nominated as the KMT’s presidential candidate in July, but she was replaced by Chu in October due to low opinion polls and policies which were deemed much more pro-Chinese than the mainstream of the party and the country.

Hung voted in New Taipei City, where she used to be a legislator, and Huang in Chiayi City, where she served two terms as mayor. Lee cast his ballot in Taipei City and Chen in the Chungli District of Taoyuan City.

In Chiayi City, Huang received 1,747 votes against 841 for Hung or almost half, with a voter turnout of 50.18 percent, reports said.

Lee alleged there had been irregularities with the ballots cast by members living overseas and demanded an investigation by prosecutors into the case.

President Ma Ying-jeou and former Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng also voted, in Taipei City and in the Luchu District of Kaohsiung City respectively.

