DPP, KMT woo Kaohsiung voters

"The KMT is a party with sufficient ruling ability, but it is not strong in elections."

Lien Chan, KMT chairman

The KMT and DPP battled for public support in Kaohsiung yesterday, where the two parties got behind their respective candidates in the mayoral election and the KMT celebrated its 108th anniversary.

While Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) urged Kaohsiung residents to support DPP candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), considered the front-runner in the race, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) said DPP leaders are good campaigners but make for lousy administrators.

Speaking tens of thousands of supporters, Chen said that the government has long been accused of placing more emphasis on the north than the south, but that the situation has greatly improved due to strong cooperation between himself and Hsieh -- dubbed by Chen "the nation's cooperative regional leader."

The president asked Kaohsiung voters to continue supporting the DPP, adding that he has enough headaches in the north dealing with Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

Chen Kaohsiung's KMT mayors prior to Hsieh did nothing for the city.

It was Hsieh who started subway construction and improved water quality, he said.

"It is also Hsieh who enables Kaohsiung City to grow like the nation's rising star," Chen said.

Also looking to prove its dedication to the south, the KMT moved celebrations for its 108th anniversary to Kaohsiung and sought to boost the popularity of its mayoral candidate for the city, Huang Jun-ying (黃俊英).

Polls show Huang trailing far behind Hsieh.

The KMT chairman said he felt no joy on the party's birthday because Taiwanese are suffering from unprecedented misery under DPP rule.

Citing surveys to support his accusations, Lien said 72 percent of people are dissatisfied with the DPP administration, 60 percent disapprove of educational reform and 50 percent lack confidence in the DPP's ability to improve public safety.

Lien, who came in a distant third in the 2000 presidential election, attributed the KMT's loss of power to his party's poor campaigning.

"The KMT is a party with sufficient ruling ability, but it is not strong in elections. It does not dare to exercise authority to intimidate other parties, nor will it dare to make use of the media to deceive people nor will it dare to ignite ethnic tension," Lien told a crowd of an estimated 10,000 supporters.

He offered the nation his apology because "the KMT has caused the people enormous pain because of its poor performance in elections."

Lien to Kaohsiung residents to give the party a chance to demonstrate its skills by voting for Huang on Dec. 7.

Lien the performance of Hsieh, saying he has let people down in the same fashion as the central government.

The KMT chairman said Kaohsiung residents face severe unemployment, poor public safety and poor water quality.

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