TAIPEI (AFP) -- Members of Taiwan's ruling party voted Sunday for a new leader after last month's humiliating defeat in local elections, but no change is expected in its leanings toward independence from China.

Polling stations across the island opened at 9:00 A.M. (0100 GMT) and were due to close at 4:00 P.M.

An estimated 25 percent of the 234,874 eligible members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were expected to cast their ballots.

The party was stunned by the results of the December polls, its worst setback since it won the presidency in 2000 and ended the half-century hold on power of the rival nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party.

DPP chairman Su Chen-chang resigned to take responsibility for the result, setting the stage for Sunday's leadership by-election with the list of candidates whittled down to three.

Former Taiwanese premier Yu Shyi-kun is facing off against MP Chai Trong-rong, founding president of a radical group favoring Taiwan independence, and a former legislator, Wong Chin-chu.

In a survey conducted by TVBS news channel, 41 percent of the 1,012 people polled favored Yu to be new chairman while 18 percent preferred Wong, with only nine percent favoring Chai.

All three are proponents of independence and so whoever is elected, the party's policy in dealing with rival China is not expected to change.