Li Ao first to register as Taipei mayor candidate

Independent Legislator Li Ao (李敖) yesterday became the first Taipei mayoral candidate to officially register with the Central Election Commission.

Li, one of three pan-blue camp affiliated candidates for the year-end election, said during a press conference that his candidature would not influence the unity of pan-blue camp because he was the most senior in the camp.

Li said he was targeting former premier and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and former minister of the Environmental Protection Administration Hau Lung-pin (郝龍斌), who is running as candidate for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

Li said his rivals should "know when to back out of the election," adding that he would act as a mayor who fights against "bad central government" instead of a mayor who "maintains bridges and roads" because a mayor should "plan municipal administration from a multilateral perspective."

Li said he would not be holding campaigning events or putting up posters or banners but would try to win support by appearing on talk shows and holding public debates with rival candidates instead.

In the face of another pan-blue candidate entering the race, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that since Li has a lot of influence on the public, his decision to run in the election posed "a big threat" to Hau.

"This [the election] will be a tough battle for Hau," Ma said. "So we will work harder."

Hau said yesterday that he believes that pan-blue supporters would concentrate their votes on one candidate in an effort to counter the DPP candidate.

He said he was confident that he would win the support of the pan-blue electorate and win the election.

In addition to Li, People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) is also expected to announce his intention to run in the Taipei mayoral race.

When asked for comments during a campaign event yesterday, Hsieh said: "[Having more than one pan-blue candidate] shows that they [PFP chairman Soong and Li] think Hau is not a suitable candidate."