Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials yesterday made last-ditch efforts to solicit support for their candidates in the lead-up to today’s legislative by-elections.
Three by-elections will be held in Taoyuan, Taichung and Taitung. Winning any of the three by-elections will be a breakthrough for the DPP, which hopes to grab more seats in the KMT-dominated Legislative Yuan.
The by-elections in Taoyuan and Taichung counties are being held following the invalidation of the election of the KMT’s Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井) and Chiang Lien-fu (江連福) after they were convicted of vote-buying. The Taitung by-election is being held to fill the seat left vacant by former KMT Legislator Justin Huang (黃健庭), who resigned in October to run in last month’s Taitung County commissioner election, which he won.
PHOTO: CNA
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday traveled to Taoyuan, Taichung and Taitung counties to campaign for KMT candidates in his capacity as KMT chairman.
Ma did not attend any by-election-related campaigning events before yesterday.
He brushed off allegations about his reluctance to campaign for former Taitung County commissioner Kuang Li-cheng (鄺麗貞) and walked the streets with her in the morning.
“My schedule has been really tight. I hope I can visit all three counties and campaign for party candidates in one day and dispel all the rumors,” Ma said yesterday in Taitung.
Kuang, who sparked controversy over her frequent foreign trips during typhoon seasons while she was commissioner, had agreed to withdraw from last month’s Taitung County commissioner election race.
She yesterday thanked Ma for his support and expressed confidence she would win today’s by-election.
Ma also campaigned for legislative candidates Yu Wen-chin (余文欽) of Taichung and Chen Li-ling (陳麗玲) of Taoyuan.
The DPP yesterday also pulled out all last-minute stops on election eve to ensure victory in today’s by-elections.
The DPP’s main strategy is to stress that the three seats up for grabs today were all made available after the former KMT winners were convicted of vote-buying.
Braving the cold, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) zigzagged across Taoyuan, Taichung and Taitung counties in the last week to support party candidates.
Tsai appeared at a rally for Taichung County nominee Chien Chao-tung (簡肇棟) yesterday before heading north to Taoyuan where an ensemble of DPP heavyweights such as former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and former premiers Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃) were to stump for Kuo Jung-tsung (郭榮宗), a former DPP lawmaker.
DPP Secretary-General Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉全) sat at the helm for the race in Taitung where Lai Kun-cheng (賴坤成) will face Kuan.
The DPP have 27 seats in the legislature. If it can take two additional seats, it will pass the crucial threshold of one-fourth of the 113-seat legislature.
In another development, DPP nominee Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) yesterday completed her registration to vie for the legislative seat for Hualien County in the legislative by-election scheduled to take place on Feb. 27. Also, KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) yesterday announced the nomination of former KMT legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖) as the party’s candidate to grab another legislative seat in Taoyuan County.
The KMT also completed the nomination process of party candidates in the Feb. 27 by-election in Hualien, Hsinchu, Taoyuan and Chiayi counties.
Cheng Yung-tang (鄭永堂), brother of former Hsinchu County Commissioner Cheng Yung-chin (鄭永金), will run in the legislative by-election in Hsinchu. Lin De-ruei (林德瑞), a professor at National Chungcheng University, will represent the party in Chiayi County, while Wang Ting-sheng (王廷升), a professor at National Tunghua University, will run in Hualien.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
CRITICISM: It is deeply regrettable that China, which is pursuing nuclear weapons, has suppressed Taiwan, which is pursuing peace, a government official said Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) yesterday accused Beijing of interference after Taiwan’s official delegation to the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony in Japan was assigned seating in the “international non-governmental organizations [NGO]” area. “Taiwan is by no means an international NGO, but a sovereign nation that is active on the international stage,” Lee said. Lee and Chen Ming-chun (陳銘俊), head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Fukuoka, attended the ceremony in Nagasaki yesterday, which marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city. That followed Lee’s attendance at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on Wednesday
RSS