A KMT county commissioner yesterday expressed his support for the DPP's candidate for December's Taipei mayoral election, Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), boosting the previously sagging popularity ratings of the candidate -- who is lagging behind incumbent Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Lee, along with his wife Laura Huang (黃月桂), returned to his hometown, Lunbei township in Yunlin County, to solicit votes from the region. He received a warm welcome from his relatives and old friends and won immediate endorsement from Chang Jung-wei (張榮味), the KMT Yunlin County commissioner.
Chang dubbed Lee -- a former legislator, a former Taipei deputy representative to Washington and a former secretary-general of the Cabinet -- an honorary citizen of Yunlin, because he hails from the same county.
"Despite my status as a KMT member, I certainly have to support Lee," Chang said.
On Saturday evening, Chang had met with Ma when an opera was performed in Yunlin, but he noted the meeting was made "out of courtesy."
Lee told his supporters that his love for his country and for his hometown has never diminished over the years. Although he no longer lives there, Yunlin inhabited a special place in his heart, and the support of Yunlin's people serves as a driving force for him to move forward.
KMT Legislator Tseng Tsai Mei-tso (曾蔡美佐) was also in attendance to throw her support behind Lee.
Yunlin is one of the least developed regions of the country, its residents are predominantly farmers and laborers. For decades most of its residents have been forced to leave their hometowns to find employment in cities. In Taipei, there are approximately 400,000 residents hailing from Yunlin.
Given its immense population, both Ma and Lee have put much emphasis on the region.
For Yunlin residents, Lee's quick rise to prominence in political circles in recent years was unexpected.
In 1993 and 1997, he was defeated during the DPP's primary elections for Yunlin commissioner. Following his defeat in 1993, he was elected to the legislature for the first time in 1995 to represent Taipei County. Subsequently, he shifted his attention to northern Taiwan.
Born to a farmer's family in Yunlin County in 1953, Lee earned his first degree in public health at National Taiwan University (NTU).
He then received his master's degree in health policy and management from Harvard University before earning his doctorate in health economics from the University of North Carolina in 1988.
Although the NTU gave Lee letters of appointment in 1988 and 1989, the Taiwan authorities shut the door to the young academic due to his blacklisted status.
In 1990, Lee returned to Taiwan through illegal channels as part of the World United Formosans for Independence's plan to move its headquarters back to Taiwan.
During the next 14 months, Lee played hide-and-seek with intelligence agents around Taiwan.
He was jailed for nine months after he was arrested on Sept. 2, 1992 for his advocacy of Taiwan's independence.
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