Taiwan ruling party claims presidential victory 

Taiwan's ruling party has claimed victory in the island's presidential election.

The honorary chairman of President Ma Ying-jeou's ruling Nationalist Party said today that the victory was the result of a unified effort and "didn't come easily."

With about 80 per cent of the vote counted, Ma was leading challenger Tsai Ing-wen of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party by about six percentage points.

Voters appeared drawn to Ma's vision of better relations with China over Tsai's attempts to galvanize resentment over growing income inequality.

A third candidate, James Soong, a former heavyweight in Ma's Nationalist Party, had just 2.8 percent of the vote.

AP