<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The election of the ninth - term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China (第 九 任 中華 民國 總統 、 副 總統 選舉) was the first direct presidential election in the history of the Republic of China . It occurred on 23 March 1996 . In the previous eight elections the president and vice president had been chosen in a ballot of the deputies of the National Assembly, in accordance with the 1947 constitution . </P> <P> The outcome of the 1996 election was that Lee Teng - hui was elected as President and Lien Chan as Vice President . Lee stood as the incumbent, and as the candidate of the ruling Kuomintang . He won a majority of 54% of the votes cast . His election followed missile tests by the People's Republic of China . These were an attempt to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate and discourage them from supporting Lee, however the tactic backfired . Voter turnout was 76.0% . </P> <P> The ruling Kuomintang nominated president Lee Teng - hui in August 1995 at its 14th Party Congress after plans to institute a closed primary system by his opponents were thwarted . As his running mate, Lee chose Lien Chan, who had attempted to resign his position as Premier of the Republic of China to join Lee's ticket . Lee did not accept Lien's resignation, as Lien's potential successors to the premiership stood little chance of legislative confirmation . After the election, the Judicial Yuan allowed Lien to keep both posts . </P>

Who scored a victory in taiwans first democratic public elections in 1996