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Hsieh pushes vision of Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) used the first official day of the mayoral election campaign yesterday to tout his performance over the past four years and explain his vision of the city as a leading business center, while his main challenger attacked the incumbent's failure to fulfill his promises.

More than 400 supporters gathered outside Hsieh's campaign office yesterday morning to hear him lay out his plans for Kaohsiung's future.

Hsieh said that his efforts over the past four years had solved many of the problems left by former mayor Wu Den-yi (吳敦義) of the KMT, such as the heavy pollution of the Chienchen River (前鎮河).

Hsieh said he had launched several major projects, such as improving the quality of the city's tap water and building the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit system.

"I've made the city move energetically," Hsieh said.

Although many of the projects have yet to be completed, Hsieh said several of them would be realized next year, having been approved by the council.

For example, he said, in the first month after the election, six major projects, such as dredging of the Chengchin Lake and the opening of a fish market in Chichin (旗津), would be completed.

The balance between the north and south of the country was starting to become a reality, Hsieh said, with the recent development of Kaohsiung.

"Taipei is Taiwan's political center, while Kaohsiung is its business center," Hsieh said.

Hsieh's resolution to promote business received a boost yesterday after 30 members of the Junior Chamber International of Taiwan visited Hsieh to show their support.

KMT candidate Huang Jun-ying (黃俊英), however, criticized Hsieh for his making empty promises.

According to Huang spokesman Cheng Shih-shi (鄭世熙), Hsieh promised before the last election to create 10,000 job opportunities for Kaohsiung residents.

Moreover, two years ago, when construction began on Kaohsiung's MRT system, Hsieh said the project would create 20,000 job opportunities, Cheng said.

"Now, we only see a lot of unemployed residents," Cheng said.

Huang, who is seen as Hsieh's main challenger, said yesterday that he appreciated the support of KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Huang Chi-chuan (黃啟川), who appeared at his election campaign rally last night.

With the Dec. 7 election nearing, Lien urged KMT, PFP and non-DPP supporters to unite to help Huang Jun-ying defeat Hsieh.

KMT and PFP attempts to agree on a joint candidate failed after independent candidates Shih Ming-teh (施明德), a former chairman of the DPP, and Chang Po-ya (張博雅), a former interior minister, pulled out of negotiations.

On Wednesday, Lien urged voters to "approve the ideals of Shih Ming-teh, respect the credentials and hard work of Chang Po-ya, but cast their precious votes for Huang."

To further promote a unified opposition, Lien yesterday visited several influential political figures in Kaohsiung, including former Control Yuan member Shih Chung-hsiang (施鐘響), regarded as a supporter of Shih.

Shih said yesterday that Lien's real intention was to train PFP and anti-Hsieh voters to support the KMT candidate, which, by the time of the next presidential election in 2004, would be Lien himself.

"Why should voters support a political party with no vision?" Shih said.

Chang said yesterday that she would still fight to win, implying that integrating voters with diverse political views did not interest her at all.
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