DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday slammed the KMT for cutting NT$280 million from Hualien County's construction budget, as he stumped for party candidates in the eastern part of the county.
"The budget was allocated to improve Aboriginal people's living conditions, preschool education, Internet lessons for teenage students and the county's sewerage system and police and fire departments," Hsieh told crowds yesterday afternoon, as he urged residents to vote for the DPP's candidate for county commissioner, You Ying-lung (
Hsieh added that the KMT has also frozen a total of NT$580 million meant to fund 98 projects in the county, adding that only 42 of those projects have been started due to the lack of funds.
Hsieh also reiterated the party's plan to push through legislative reforms, including cutting the number of seats in the Legislative Yuan by half and implementing a single district/two votes system.
Also at You's campaign rally yesterday, a women's support group was founded to court female voters for You and two other DPP legislative candidates in the county ? Lu Bo-chi (盧博基) and Chen Yi-hsin (陳義信).
Two celebrities, the premier's second wife Chu A-ying (朱阿英) and TV personality Pai Ping-ping (白冰冰) -- who used to only stump for KMT candidates -- showed up at the rally.
You picked up a major endorsement from the government with Chu's appearance. Chu told reporters, on behalf of Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
Chu has reportedly been actively campaigning for Chang and other DPP candidates, but out of the public limelight. She has been dodging the media and photographers after a controversy over the premier's two wives made headlines. Yesterday, however, Chu showed no hesitation in joining those on stage at the rally.
Pai made her appearance before Hsieh arrived so she would not be on stage with him. Pai has had a public feud with Hsieh, who she called "a bad guy" during the last Kaohsiung mayoral election, because the DPP chairman negotiated with and later served as defense attorney for Chen Chin-hsing (陳進興). Chen was executed in 1999 for the 1997 kidnapping and murder of Pai's daughter, Pai Hsiao-yen (白曉燕).
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