Independent Legislator Li Ao (
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 (
PHOTO: CNA
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 (
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."
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are