Table I: Chronology of Taiwan's political development

Time period Event
   
March 29, 1986 The third plenary session of the KMT's 12th Central Committee is held in which a consensus on political reforms is reached.
April 9, 1986 The KMT's Central Standing Committee establishes a 12-member sub-committee responsible for studying six major issues: lifting the Emergency Decree, allowing the establishment of new political parties, parliamentary reform, providing a legal basis for local self-governance, social security, and reforming party affairs.
October 15, 1986 The KMT's Central Standing Committee decides to give priority to two issues: lifting both the Emergency Decree and the ban on the formation of new political parties.
June 23, 1987 The Legislature passes the third reading of the National Security Law.
July 15, 1987 The Emergency Decree is lifted.
November 2, 1987 People are officially allowed to visit relatives on the mainland.
January 1, 1988 Registration for new newspapers commences.
January 11, 1988 The Legislature passes the third reading of the Law on Assembly and Parades.
February 3, 1988 The KMT's Central Standing Committee passes the four principles of the Regulations on the Voluntary Retirement of Senior Parliamentarians.
July 7, 1988 The KMT's 13th National Congress is held, in which five items on the agenda are passed including the "Current Mainland Policy."
January 20, 1989 The Legislature passes the third reading of the Law on Civic Organizations.
January 26, 1989 The Legislature passes the third reading of the amendments to the Election and Recall Law and the Law on the Voluntary Retirement of Senior Parliamentarians.
April 18, 1990 The KMT's Central Standing Committee passes a three-stage plan to thoroughly implement the Regulations on the Voluntary Retirement of Senior Parliamentarians.
May 20, 1990 President Lee Teng-hui is sworn in as the ROC's eighth-term president. In his inaugural address, he specifies the schedule for political reforms:
  • the Period of National Mobilization for Suppression of the Communist Rebellion shall be ended in accordance with the law in the shortest possible time;
  • all issues concerning national representative organs, local self-governance, and the government system shall be resolved by constitutional amendment within two years.
May 1, 1991 The Period of National Mobilization for Suppression of the Communist Rebellion is ended.
December 21, 1991 The election for the delegates to the Second National Assembly is held. The KMT wins nearly 72 percent of the votes and 79 percent of the seats, while the DPP garners 24 percent of the votes and nearly 19 percent of the seats.
March-May 1992 The National Assembly starts the second round of constitutional revision, which stipulates that the president is to be elected by universal suffrage. Also, the terms of office for the president of the republic and delegates to the National Assembly are reduced to four years; the Control Yuan becomes a quasi-judicial organ; the National Assembly is empowered to confirm members of the Control Yuan, the Examination Yuan, and the Judicial Yuan who are nominated by the president.
December 19, 1992 The election for the Second Legislative Yuan is held.
August 18, 1993 The KMT's 14th National Congress elects President Lee Teng-hui as party chairman for a consecutive term.
December 3, 1994 The elections for Taiwan provincial governor and mayors of Taipei and Kaohsiung cities are held. The ruling KMT wins the gubernatorial and Kaohsiung mayoral elections, and the DPP, the Taipei mayoral seat.
August 1995 The second session of the KMT's 14th National Congress decides to let party representatives determine the party's presidential candidate. Lee Teng-hui is nominated to run for the ROC's ninth-term president. Vice chairman Lin Yang-kang announces that he will run for presidency by obtaining a petition signed by the people.
December 2, 1995 During the election for the Third Legislative Yuan, the KMT wins 85 of the 164 seats, the DPP 54, the New Party 21, and independent candidates four. This is a surprise as it was speculated that none of the parties would obtain a majority of the seats.
March 23, 1996 The first-ever popular election of the president is held. The KMT candidate Lee Teng-hui wins the election with 54 percent of the vote.

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