Campaigns for the 2012 Taiwan leader election are scheduled to begin on Dec. 17, according to an announcement Friday by the island's authority in charge of the election.

The three groups of candidates for Taiwan leadership election are Ma Ying-jeou and Wu Den-yih of the ruling Kuomintang party, Tsai Ing-wen and Su Jia-chyuan of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, as well as James Soong and Lin Ruey-shiung of the minor opposition People First Party.

The qualifications of all six candidates were approved by the authority-in-charge on Dec. 7.

It also had verified the qualification of candidates for the eighth legislative elections. Voting in the Taiwan leader election and legislative election will be held on Jan. 14.