Taipei Times: Will you run regardless of the consequences?
Chang Wen-ying: I will certainly quit the DPP and run in the election -- no matter what. The mayoral election is just a local election, and the needs of residents should be the main focus of the campaign. To the political parties, Taichung has become nothing but a battleground for the presidential elections. I cannot approve of this.
A mayoral candidate should not be a puppet of any political party or politician. At such a critical time, when the central government remains unable to successfully allocate national resources, if we all just think about party interests and the presidential election, what future will there be for Taiwan? In light of the current situation, I am indeed determined to run.
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
TT: Political commentators often portray your family as a negative factor in your administration. What do you think?
Chang: Some people want to attack me by destroying my family. If we look around among the female politicians of the Formosan era [the period during the early 1980s when opposition individuals started to band together to challenge KMT rule], who leads a happy married life? It is sad that so many of us are either single or divorced. I am one of the few women from that era that enjoys a happy marriage. So some people try to ruin my marriage and family. ... Over the past few years, when my opponents could not find fault with me, they tried to look for trouble with my husband, children and other family members.
I will never give in to these dreadful plots. I will take the flak, but why should female politicians have to carry so many burdens?
TT: Once you enter the race, how will you interact with the DPP?
Chang: Since the DPP was established, I've been the only individual able to win the support of voters [in Taichung City] from both sides of the political spectrum. My efforts should be an example for the DPP.
We all call for ethnic integration, but I've made it a reality. The DPP should be proud of me, but instead they have launched a struggle against me. Even those who filed lawsuits against me over the past few years were members of the DPP.
To truly integrate ethnic groups, we ought to get rid of ideology and conventional ways of doing things. I don't just exclusively hire people from the DPP to work for me, and the resources of the city government cannot be exclusively for DPP city councilors.
In the old days, the DPP rightfully criticized the KMT mayor's practice of manipulating the public budget for party purposes and using administrative resources solely for KMT politicians. Can we now repeat the same mistakes?
TT: The KMT's Jason Hu ranks No. 1 in the opinion polls, what is your analysis of this?
Chang: High opinion poll ratings depend on high publicity, but elections need "mobilization." In local elections, opinion polls may reflect some kind of publicity and impression, but they are not equivalent to actual voting behavior.
Maybe he does have a high approval rating, but his supporters are not necessarily eligible voters and eligible voters don't necessarily come out to the polls. My supporters will definitely cast their votes at the polling stations.
Taichung City is actually quite small. I was born and raised here. I have been to all parts of the city. I am well aware of people's real thinking and I know where my votes are. My parents, parents-in-law, friends and relatives all live here. I will live here forever, unlike some people, who can take off anytime like migrant birds.
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
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