Senior politicians from both the pan-green and pan-blue camps yesterday put in a last-ditch effort to canvass support in crucial electoral battlegrounds ahead of today's elections.
With Taipei County being regarded as the most hotly contested district, pan-green luminaries including President Chen Shui-bian (
Over 20,000 people attended the rally and many of them were seen with teary eyes as they listened to Luo and Su' impassioned speeches.
Chen lambasted the KMT's attempts at blackening Luo's integrity.
"The KMT will go to any length to win the elections -- even using the lowest trick," Chen said. "I urge you to protect Su and Luo and give them power and faith."
Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) made appearances at a rally in Taipei County last night to promote the KMT candidate, Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋).
The KMT's final campaign effort revolved around Ma's promise to resign if the KMT fails to get at least 11 candidates elected, with voters being urged to "save Taiwan, save Ma Ying-jeou and save KMT candidates."
Ma said yesterday that he has tied his fate to those of all KMT candidates.
KMT spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) said that while the party is likely to hold on to eight cities and counties that are currently under its control, it expects a tough battle in seven key areas: Taipei, Ilan, Nantou, Changhua, Yunlin and Pingtung counties and Chiayi City.
Liao Feng-teh (廖風德), head of the KMT's organization and development committee, said the Taipei County race remains unpredictable.
Meanwhile, in Chiayi City, former Chiayi mayor Chang Po-ya's (
Chen Li-jen broke into tears and asked DPP Legislator Tsai Chi-fang (蔡啟芳) to apologize to Chang for saying that Chen Li-jen would never be re-elected without the help of the "Hsu family clan," which had apparently angered Chang.
The Hsu family has been an important local faction in the city since Chang's mother, Hsu Shih-hsien (
Although Chang changed her position at the last minute, her sister Chang Wen-yin (
In Taoyuan County, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) campaigned yesterday for the DPP's candidate, Cheng Po-ching (鄭寶清).
She accused the KMT's Taoyuan County commissioner candidate, Chu Li-lun (
"In the last four years, Chu had avoided interacting with me, although I am the country's vice president and a Taoyuan resident. I find his arrogance unbearable," Lu said.
Lu said Chu even demanded that his subordinates decline from being courteous to the president when he visited the Fuhsing Township (
"Chu will definitely jeopardize relations between the local and central government further if he keeps serving the county commissioner like this," Lu said.
She added that her recent statement that the DPP's election efforts were doomed had been a strategic pronouncement aimed at encouraging more people to vote for the DPP.
Lu said that she and the president would both take full responsibility for the results of the election.
In Keelung City, People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday insinuated that the KMT will have to fend for itself in the legislature if the PFP's mayoral candidate for Keelung City is defeated in today's elections.
PFP candidate Liu Wen-hsiung (
Soong said that he would go into seclusion or even overseas if Liu loses.
Additional reporting by Chiu Yu-tzu, Shih Hsiu-chuan and jewel huang
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
RSS