In the difficult transition from an authoritarian regime to a democracy, in the Republic of China in Taiwan, the elections of 1989 assumed a particular importance. For the first time since 1947, the ruling Nationalist party competed in free elections with other major political parties for the right to govern. The author describes the results of the national, provincial, and local electoral contests. He emphasizes the strides made by the ruling party to modernize the political institutions as it has successfully modernized the economic institutions of the republic. The future of the fledgling democracy, however, is uncertain, the author says, as Taiwan faces increasing internal conflict over independence and a continuing external threat from the mainland.