Parties make last-ditch call for support

Candidates in the Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral elections last night made a last-ditch effort ahead of today's crucial vote, crisscrossing streets during the day and yelling themselves hoarse at night-time rallies.

Kaohsiung City is seen by both the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) as the most crucial battle-ground.

At a mass rally with the theme of "Justice," held for DPP Kaohsiung candidate Chen Chu (陳菊), President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) called on pan-green supporters to cast their ballots for Chen Chu while bearing in mind her concern for the nation's minorities.

Using the victory of the Taiwanese baseball team at the Asian Games on Thursday as an example, the president told those gathered at the rally to hold on until the end in order to secure victory in tomorrow's election.

"Nothing is impossible. We believe the victory will ultimately belong to us," he said, urging people to cast their ballots for Chen Chu.

Chen Shui-bian also promised the attendees that the central government would do its best to help Kaohsiung win the right to host the International University Games in 2011.

DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun took the stage and said many people had been misled by pan-blue politicians' attempts to discredit the DPP, but he urged those present to firmly believe in the party.

Other DPP heavyweights including Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) attended the rally, while former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) was absent because Chen Chu asked Lin to take a rest following his decision to campaign for her yesterday morning.

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was absent because she had foreign guests to look after while former Kaohsiung mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who is running for Taipei mayor, was occupied with his own campaign.

In a public address given while campaigning for Chen Chu at Kao-hsiung's Sanfong Central Street earlier yesterday, President Chen continued urging pan-green supporters to vote for the DPP's candidate.

KAOHSIUNG RACE

"I'm very worried that Kaohsiung will become `Chinese Kaohsiung' after [today's] election," the president said, urging Kaohsiung residents to think about Kaohsiung's progress and the efforts Hsieh had made for the city.

The crux of the election, the president said, was to prevent Kaohsiung from backsliding.

He then joined DPP heavyweights such as Su and Yu and hundreds of supporters in a parade from Sanmin Park to Chen Chu's campaign headquarters in a show of respect for the Kaohsiung administration's efforts for the city.

The KMT's Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Huang Chun-ying (黃俊英) also held a rally last night, with KMT Chairman and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and a number of KMT legislators taking the stage urging voters to support the "professional and clean Huang."

With "Opposing Corruption" as the theme of the rally, Ma slammed the DPP, calling on voters to "expel the corrupt DPP and the DPP government from the city."

JASON HU'S APPEAL

An emotional clip of Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強), a member of the KMT, was broadcast at Huang's campaign headquarters earlier yesterday, asking voters to support Huang.

Hu and his wife Shaw Hsiao-ling (邵曉鈴) were injured in a car accident in Tainan County late last month when they were returning to Taichung from Kaohsiung after campaigning for Huang. Shaw was in a coma for several days but her condition has stabilized over the past two days.