Soong supports KMT's Huang in Kaohsiung race

The Kaohsiung mayoral election campaign heated up dramatically yesterday as PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) threw his party's support behind KMT candidate Huang Jun-ying (黃俊英), effectively unifying the pan-blue challenge to DPP incumbent Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).

DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), however, said the move would not hurt Hsieh because 60 percent of residents of Kaohsiung City were satisfied with what he had done during his four years in office.

Yesterday afternoon, Soong, who spent the day in Kaohsiung rallying support for PFP candidates for Kaohsiung city council, tried to communicate with independent candidate Chang Po-ya (張博雅) at a closed-door meeting.

But after meeting with Soong in the afternoon, Chang told reporters that she would not withdraw from the mayoral campaign.

"No matter how political parties manipulate the election, I believe that Kaohsiung residents' voting behavior will show that party support can no longer guarantee votes," Chang said.

After clarifying the PFP's support for the KMT's Huang, Soong said that he respected Chang for her past experience and personality as he also respected another independent candidate, the former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德).

In response to Soong's expression of support, Huang said he would listen to what Kaohsiung residents had to say.

"I can't manipulate voters but I can work hard to know what residents say," Huang said.

Hsieh said that he was confident that Kaohsiung residents would vote rationally.

DPP Secretary-General Chang said yesterday that diverse pan-blue factions had not been integrated successfully even though recent media polls suggested that the gap between Huang's support and Hsieh's was closing.

"The DPP will work hard to further promote Hsieh by dealing with opponents' negative campaigning and unreliable media polls," Chang said.

Chang said that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) would come to Kaohsiung on Sunday to campaign for Hsieh. Chang would do the same next Tuesday.

Shih said that Soong has shown himself to be passively following trends in the election. Soong had backed Chang Po-ya but had moved to support Huang after the KMT successfully boosted Huang's campaign.

"Soong had the chance to exercise real influence in the election, but now he's been marginalized," Shih said.