As scandals have plagued both the DPP and KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidates over the past week, political observers said the two are well-matched and the vote will be tight.
"The election will be a very close race with very small winning margins of a few thousands votes -- probably 1 percent of the votes cast," said Taiwan South Society deputy chairman Bob Kuo (
He stressed that negative campaign techniques have left non-partisan voters in Kaohsiung, most of whom are in slight favor of the DPP, disappointed with politics and indifferent to elections.
"How to make up for that disappointment and mobilize them to support the DPP seems to be the crucial element for helping Hsieh win the election," Kuo said.
With the Kaohsiung mayoral election only a day away, the city has been flooded with old campaign tricks such as blackmail, vote-buying, violence and tears.
A food vendor at a traditional market in the Lingya district said, "One of the most outrageous rumors that I've ever heard is that Mayor Frank Hsieh (
Hsieh had been leading in the polls until the pan-blue camp reached an agreement at the end of last month to support KMT candidate Huang Jun-ying (
Former interior minister Chang Po-ya, (張博雅), who originally had the support of the PFP, and former DPP chairman Shih Ming-te (施明德) are also running.
Last week, KMT Legislator Lee Chuan-chiao (
"Hsieh is being trapped in his opponent's corruption accusation. Whether he will win the election depends on how he deals with the crisis," said Koai Kuang-wu (蒯光武), assistant professor at the Institute of Communication Management at National Sun Yat-San University.
Meanwhile, Hsieh accused KMT Legislator Wu Den-yi (
"With so many rumors as well as the depressed economy, most politicians and scholars believe that the voters who are not in favor of any party are disappointed with both the KMT and the DPP and may be reluctant to cast their votes," Koai said.
The DPP used to be dominant in Kaohsiung but its popularity is declining as Taiwan's economy sags.
Many observers see the campaign as foreshadowing the 2004 presidential election.
"The economy is so bad that we really don't feel like voting," a taxi driver in Kaohsiung told the Taipei Times "I feel discontent with the DPP but that doesn't mean that I will vote for the KMT or the PFP," he said.
DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said, "People resent the manipulation of the pan-blue camp, but they are also disappointed with the ruling DPP. It is possible that they will simply not vote at all."
Turnout in the 1998 Kaohsiung mayoral election was over 80 percent. Hsieh beat out incumbent mayor Wu Den-yi (
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