President Tsai-Ing-wen and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party have supported the event.

Mutharika's younger brother Peter is also running as the head of the Democratic Progressive Party.

He cast his vote accompanied by senior figures from his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Underscoring the scale of her victory, Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party also won a majority in parliament.

She is expected to face a tough challenge from Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party.

But Banda was expelled from the ruling Democratic Progressive party in 2010 in a row over succession.

Relations ran into problems last year following the election of Tsai, whose Democratic Progressive Party espouses formal independence.

The Democratic Progressive Party champions independence.

Chu's Nationalists are viewed as pro-China, although the opposition Democratic Progressive Party is widely seen as leaning towards independence.

Peter took over Bingu's Democratic Progressive Party, and is campaigning on a promise to re-enact the late president's policies.

Relations ran into problems last year following the election of Tsai, whose Democratic Progressive Party espouses formal independence from China.

Beijing suspects Tsai and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party of pushing formal independence for Taiwan, a red line for China.

Last Thursday, he was meeting with an MP from the ruling Democratic Progressive party (DPP) when he collapsed.

Taiwanese legislator and member of the ruling Democratic Progressive party, Wang Ting-yu, said he was "appalled and outraged".

A spokeswoman for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party called the information in Australian media a reminder of the threat from China.

The opposition is in disarray and the national assembly, dominated by Mutharika's Democratic Progressive party, functions mostly as a rubber stamp.