Reports from Taiwan say veteran political activist, Lin Yi-hsiung, has been elected as leader of the main opposition party on the island, the Democratic Progressive Party.

Lin, who's a former political prisoner, is reported to have secured a clear victory over his main opponent, legislator Chang Chun-hung, in the voting among party members across the country.

The vote took place last month but counting had to be delayed, when one southern polling centre was vandalised, forcing a re-run of the vote there.

The election comes at an important time for the party, which made big gains at the polls last year.

Parliamentary elections and votes for mayors in the cities of Taipei and Kohsiung are due in December and correspondents say the polls are regarded as a dry run for presidential elections in the year two-thousand.