DPP chooses candidates for Keelung mayoral race

The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Keelung branch has decided on four possible candidates for a in the Keelung mayoral by-election in early May.

After a two-hour meeting of local staffers late on Thursday afternoon, the Keelung branch decided to send the names of four candidates -- former Keelung city councilor Su Jen-he (蘇仁和), current Keelung City Councilor Chen Chih-cheng (陳志成), Shy Shyh-ming (施世明) and You Shtang-yaw (游祥耀) -- over to the DPP's Central Executive Committee for further discussion on Tuesday.

"We hope, in next week's Central Executive Committee meeting, we will decide on a final candidate who can win the election on behalf of the party," DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lin Yi-cheng (林宜正) said after the meeting.

DPP Keelung branch Director Yu Hsiang-hui (游祥惠) said that out of the party's long list of talented potential candidates, the four that were selected have the best chance of winning the by-election.

"We definitely have to win this time," he said.

The by-election is scheduled to be held on May 12 after Keelung Mayor Hsu Tsai-li (許財利) died from complications caused by chronic heart disease and diabetes on Monday at the age of 60.

Hsu was serving his second mayoral term after he was re-elected in 2005. Hsu was a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

According to the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法), if a mayor leaves office before completing at least half of his term, a by-election must be held within three months.

The upcoming mayoral bid created a division in the pan-blue camp on Wednesday as the KMT insisted on electing a candidate through the KMT-People First Party (PFP) alliance rather than yielding the candidate nomination to the PFP.

PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄), who lost the Keelung mayoral election to Hsu in 2005, had expressed his intention to run in the by-election.

However, KMT members including current Keelung City Council Speaker Chang Tong-rong (張通榮) and KMT Legislator Hsu Shao-ping (徐少萍) also expressed their interest in running.