The re-election campaign of Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) was boosted yesterday by a double dose of praise from President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) while the pan-blue camp did its best to prop up KMT candidate Huang Jun-ying (黃俊英).
The DPP campaign rally, carrying the theme "Kaohsiung, don't look back," attracted thousands of DPP and TSU supporters late night to Hsieh's election headquarters.
Hsieh's camp intends to use the theme to remind supporters of the time when the city was under the control of the KMT, urging voters to not make an election U-turn.
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES
At the rally, both Lee and Chen stressed that Taiwan's democratic movement originated in Kaohsiung.
Chen said Hsieh's re-election was important because the mayor had devoted himself to the cause of democracy since the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979.
Both Hsieh and Chen served as defense counsels for the accused during the KMT democracy crackdown.
Chen praised Hsieh for reforming municipal affairs over the last four years, adding that Kaohsiung had been moving forward since Hsieh took over.
"To keep Kaohsiung moving, let's vote Hsieh," Chen said.
Chen said that cooperation between central government and local authorities was essential and Hsieh's re-election this year, and his own re-election in 2004, would ensure good relations between the two.
Chen also condemned Hsieh's political opponents, who he claimed are running a campaign to blacken the mayor's name.
"It's unethical and unfair," said Chen, urging voters to resist rumors denouncing Hsieh.
Chen also urged supporters to make five phone calls apiece before the election to promote Hsieh.
Before Chen's speech, Lee was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd at the rally.
Lee said his 12-year term of office aimed to reform democracy in Taiwan, resulting in the peaceful transition of power in 2000.
Lee urged the public not to listen to opposition parties or the pro-unification media, which spread rumors about a split between himself and the president.
"My support of Chen will not be influenced by anything," Lee said.
Lee said that Hsieh was a diligent political figure capable of intelligent thinking.
Hsieh's ideas about community-based development and plans to promote Kaohsiung as an "oceanic capital" demonstrated his extraordinary vision, said Lee.
Hsieh said earlier that his ploy to seek help from presidents both past and present was to maintain election fairness since the pan-blue camp insisted on upgrading the local mayoral election to a preliminary skirmish for the 2004 presidential race.
Hsieh said that his opponents were deliberately trying to derail his re-election bid, and he urged the electorate to vote with their courage, wisdom and sense of justice
"If we spurn political figures who are good at blackening others, then future elections will be free from all this mudslinging," Hsieh said.
Premier Yu Shyi-kun, DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (
Meanwhile, KMT candidate Huang received support from both the KMT and the PFP.
KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) showed up at Huang's campaign rally with his wife, Lien Fang-yu (連方瑀), to show the party's backing. Former Kaohsiung mayor Wu Den-yi (吳敦義) also went along to support Huang.
Yesterday, PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), who last week came out in support of Huang, said DPP rule has resulted in economic recession, political disturbance and high unemployment.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique