HONG KONG, January 13. /TASS/. Lai Ching-te, a candidate from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, has won the island’s recent presidential election, The Taiwanese Central Election Commission said.

According to the commission, he collected 40.05% of the votes, while his closest rival Hou You-yi, from the opposition Kuomintang party, gathered 33.49%. The third contestant, Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je, mustered 26.46%.

The turnout was 71.86% of the island’s 19.55 million eligible voters.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the Kuomintang’s remaining forces headed by Chiang Kai-shek were defeated in the Chinese Civil War and took refuge on the island. China regards the island as one of its provinces.