The DPP suffered a blow in yesterday's county commissioner and city mayoral elections, with five of the party's incumbents losing to KMT challengers. The ruling party ended up with nine mayor and commissioner seats, down from its previous 12.
The KMT's Jason Hu (胡志強) was elected mayor of Taichung City, garnering over 200,000 votes, or about 50 percent of the total ballots.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Observers said Hu's election was attributable to internal disputes within the DPP. The independent candidate and incumbent Mayor Chang Wen-ying (張溫鷹.) dropped her DPP party membership after she failed to gain her party's nomination for the mayoral race.
Her participation in the campaign was viewed as having diverted votes from the DPP's nominee Michael Tsai (蔡明憲).
In Taoyuan County, the KMT's Chu Li-luan (朱立倫) beat a DPP incumbent to be elected county commissioner with about 55 percent of the votes in the county. The seat, once held by Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), has been held by the DPP since 1997.
KMT candidate Cheng Yung-chin (
Incumbent Hsinchu City Mayor Tsai Jen-chien (
Observers cited Tsai's recent indictment for corruption and a controversial relationship with Taichung City New Party legislative candidate Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳) for his defeat.
Liao Yung-lai (
In Keelung City, DPP Mayor Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) lost his post to the speaker of the city's municipal council, Hsu Tsai-li (許財利) of the KMT, who gained a decisive victory with 58 percent of the vote.
Nantou County's incumbent commissioner Peng Pai-hsien (
Seven candidates competed for the Nantou commissioner seat, with two candidates running from the KMT, one from the PFP, one from the DPP, and three independents. Since the 921 earthquake, Peng has come under repeated attack for suspected mishandling of billions of New Taiwan dollars in reconstruction funds.
Meanwhile, Lee Chu-feng (李炷烽) won the New Party's first county commissioner seat in Kinmen County, garnering over 56 percent of the vote.
Lee, who represents Kinmen in the legislature, had unsuccessfully run twice before for the commissioner's seat. Lee edged out his main rival in the race DPP Legislator Chen Zau-nan (陳昭南).
The PFP won two seats in Taitung County and Lien Chiang County, more commonly known as Matsu. Chen Hsueh-sheng (
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