The newly-elected members took to the streets with their supporters, who banged drums and gongs to thank the voters in the traditional Taiwanese way.

There was a high turnout across the island

The Nationalists - known as the Kuomintang (KMT) - held off a strong challenge from the secessionist opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Final results show that the KMT won 123 seats in the 225 seat parliament, and also regained control of the capital, Taipei, from the opposition.

The KMT's success is likely to be welcomed by mainland China. The DPP advocates independence for the island - a move Beijing has said it will never tolerate.

China views Taiwan as a renegade province and has threatened to invade if the government makes moves towards declaring formal independence.

The KMT, which has governed the island for more than 50 years, has said it will re-integrate with China when the time is right.

Taipei switches allegiance

President Lee Teng-hui casts his vote

The KMT's candidate for Taipei mayor, Ma Ying-jeou, won by a majority of 78,305 votes, bringing to an end to four years of control by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Tens of thousands of cheering, banner-waving supporters packed the streets around the KMT's campaign headquarters.

Mr Ma's image as a principled fighter against corruption won him many admirers - and his youthful good looks earned him the affectionate nickname of "Sonny Boy Ma".

He told the crowd: "It's not my personal victory, but a victory for all of Taipei's citizens."

Turnout was high among the island's nearly 15 million eligible voters and officials estimated around 80% of Taipei's voters had cast their ballot.

Mr Ma beat the incumbent Chen Shui-bian, one of the DPP's most popular politicians who is thought to have his sights on the presidential elections due in 2000.

New start

Conceding defeat Mr Chen said "democracy is about people making a decision, whether in choosing a mayor or deciding the country's future."

But the chairman of the DPP, Lin Yih-hsiung, said the result was a setback for the democratic movement.

"We will learn from this and make a new start," he said.