The Kuomintang (KMT) garnered three mayoral positions out of five up for grabs against the opposition, according to final results released by the Central Election Commission.

"I love you Taipei residents... I will do my best in the future," Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin told his supporters after declaring victory in his re-election bid by a comfortable margin, despite predictions of a close race.

In New Taipei city, another tightly contested area, the chairwoman of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen conceded her defeat to rival Eric Chu.

"We did not succeed in our challenge but we should remember the efforts we put in," she said.

Hau called for a moment of silence to pray for Sean Lien, the son of former vice president Lien Chan, who was seriously injured in the shooting that also killed a bystander.

Analysts said the incident helped consolidate support for the party, especially in Taipei city, where Hau was trailing in some polls.

"The shooting was an important factor in the election outcome as it brought out votes for the KMT," said Chang Ya-chung, a political scientist at National Taiwan University.

Ma called the shooting an assault on the island's democracy and urged the police to solve the case soon.

A man has been arrested over the attack in a Taipei suburb and claimed his intended target was city council candidate Chen Hung-yuan -- although it was unclear how he confused the much taller Lien with the candidate, police said.

Analysts had said a good performance at the polls by the DPP could set the scene for a return to power in the 2012 presidential vote.

The DPP, which held the presidency from 2000 to 2008, is campaigning on a platform of more competent leadership, with Ma and the KMT still suffering from the perception that his government reacted slowly to a deadly typhoon in 2009.

However Saturday's elections took place at a time when the economy is improving rapidly and ties with China are better than ever.

Ma was elected for four years in 2008 on a promise to lift the economy and initially faced an uphill battle as the export-dependent island was severely hit by the global financial crisis.

Recent data have suggested a drastic turn for the better, and unemployment, a major concern on the island, has now slipped below five percent.

At the same time, Ma's administration has pursued an ambitious agenda of reducing tensions with China, especially through economic cooperation.

In late June Taiwan and China signed a historic economic agreement that will serve as a framework for opening up trade between the two former rivals.

Despite the improved ties, China has not given up its explicit wish of bringing about reunification, putting an end to 61 years of separation.

Friday's shooting revived painful memories of another election-eve shooting in 2004, when then-president Chen Shui-bian and his deputy Annette Lu were shot while campaigning for re-election in southern Taiwan.

Critics alleged that shooting was staged to win sympathy for Chen, who eventually won by a razor-thin margin in a disputed election that plunged the island into turmoil for months.

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