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Elections 2006: Candidates hustle amid pre-poll fever

From crying to shouting, candidates made every effort to attract votes on the eve of the city councilor election in Taipei. Even candidates with high support ratings were busy claiming that they might lose.

Some attempted to win the public's sympathy with their tears, while others urged voters to "save" them.

Campaigning ended officially at 10pm yesterday, which was the busiest day of the campaign for most candidates.

In Taipei's Shilin and Beitou constituency, the election situation was chaotic.

After losing his re-election bid for a legislative seat, former Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislator Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) attempted to stage a comeback this time, claiming that he would withdraw from politics forever if he lost again.

Meanwhile, nominees were securing their vote captains on the last day.

Even Taipei City Council Speaker Wu Bi-chu (吳碧珠) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) dared not ignore her rivals.

In Taipei's Nangang and Neihu constituency, where the blue camp enjoys high popularity, pressure surged within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) when supporters urged the party to focus ballots on the top two of its three nominees. The goal would be to save the top two by "dumping" the third.

In Taipei's Songshan and Xinyi Districts, fake opinion poll results had affected developments.

DPP nominee Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) complained that fake opinion poll results showed that she was the green camp's favorite candidate, pushing her supporters to weaker candidates.

The People First Party's (PFP) nominee Hung Shih-chi (洪士奇), known as "Dr Husky," accused his rivals of making phone calls to harass his supporters.

In Taipei's Zhongshan and Datong Districts, the election situation was no less tense.

As allegations of bribery surfaced, rumors about negative campaigning abounded.

The competition among candidates with low support ratings was especially severe.

Independent Councilor Lin Ting-yung's (林定勇) support base was weakened by allegations of bribery not long ago.

Two of the DPP's nominees, both from heavyweight political families, were also attacked for their backgrounds.

KMT nominees also complained about the party's call for "vote allocation" (配票).

In Taipei's Zhongzheng and Wanhua Districts, both the blue and green camps suffered from internal conflicts, as candidates faced stiff competition within their parties.

DPP Councilor Liu Yao-ren (劉耀仁) and KMT Councilors Lee Jen-jen (李仁人) and Wu Chih-kang (吳志剛), all seeking re-election, have been smeared by candidates from their own parties due to their high popularity.

In Taipei's Da-an and Wenshan constituency, leading candidates claimed that they were in a perilous situation and might lose the elections.

Even KMT Councilor Chiang Nai-shin (蔣乃辛), who reportedly enjoys the highest popularity in this constituency, worried that the KMT's supporters might allocate their votes to weaker nominees.
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