The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is trying everything it can to retain the New Taipei City mayorship in the November elections and in Taipei, Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) is trying just as hard to win the support of the red, blue and green camps to ensure the success of his re-election bid.
However, all factors affecting the upcoming elections, both subjective and objective, have changed this time around, and everyone who wants to hang on to their current position, whether individuals or parties, is facing an uphill battle.
SERIOUS CONTENDER
Ko’s problem is that he is not facing former vice president Lien Chan’s (連戰) son, Sean Lien (連勝文), this time. Last time, Ko could play on being “different” from Lien and representing a rebellious spirit without representing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
This made it easy for voters who dislike the KMT and “daddy’s boys/girls” to turn to Ko’s “white” — that is, neither blue, green or red — campaign, dealing the KMT a defeat.
Now, Ko has no one to direct his rebellious spirit against. Instead, his poor performance and frivolous demeanor are exposed. When a rogue tries to deceive us, he calls for peace, and the color “white” suddenly represents an inability to tell right from wrong.
No wonder one former president has said that Ko “has a strange mind,” and another that he is insensitive and eccentric. Ko himself is now the person to rebel against.
ECCENTRICITY
Opinion polls have showed that Ko is still the most popular among young people. If that is really the case, young voters need to seriously reconsider what kind of mayor Taipei needs. Democracy must not become a dodgeball game or about being manipulated by frivolity, trolls and eccentricity.
The KMT’s attempt to hold onto New Taipei City is complicated by former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) of the DPP, a serious, experienced, capable person willing to make sacrifices. Su’s performance trumps not only Ko’s and his “doing OK,” but also the KMT’s candidate, Hou Yu-yi (侯友宜), whose only goal is to pursue an official position.
The contest between Su and Hou is a positive development from the perspective of Taiwanese democracy — it can gradually eliminate ethnic prejudice, so that voters can make a more rational choice based on a candidate’s qualifications, personality and ideals.
PHANTOM VOTES
The KMT’s battle to retain the New Taipei City mayorship is not only up against a strong DPP competitor, but its “phantom votes” trick will not work this time.
The groups of overseas Taiwanese that returned from Washington to vote last time have said that then-DPP candidate Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃) was beaten by a “phantom population” who moved their household registrations from Taoyuan to New Taipei City.
If that is true, Hou will not have the same luck this time.
To support New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu’s (朱立倫) re-election bid in 2014, the KMT could still mobilize certain voters in Taoyuan to register their households in New Taipei City.
No longer in power at the national level, the KMT is struggling with many issues, so it is unlikely that Hou could receive similar support this time.
In addition, he is confronting a strong competitor, which makes him both incapable and unwilling to ask residents in neighboring cities to register as New Taipei City residents.
James Wang is a media commentator.
Translated by Lin Lee-kai
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