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DPP candidates in Tainan show support for merger

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidates for the Tainan City mayoral and Tainan County commissioner posts said yesterday they would suspend their campaigns for the year-end elections until the Ministry of the Interior approves the merger of the two areas and upgrade them to become a special municipality.

DPP Legislator William Lai (賴清德), the DPP nominee for Tainan mayor, and DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅), the DPP’s nominee for Tainan county commissioner, told a press conference that they decided to suspend their campaigns to demonstrate their support for the merger and upgrade of the two southern regions.

The recently amended Local Government Act (地方制度法) requires counties or cities seeking a status upgrade or a merger to submit their applications to the ministry by the end of this month amid speculation that the government will redraw Taiwan’s administrative map to create three special municipalities and 15 counties.

Lai said that Tainan City and Tainan County residents hoped the regions could be merged and upgraded to a municipality.

“I hope the central government would respect the wishes of the 2 million residents,” he said. “Lee and I will suspend our campaign activities until the ministry approves the merger.”

The Tainan County Council on Tuesday passed a motion endorsing the merger and upgrade of the two regions, one day after the Tainan City Council passed a similar motion.

Meanwhile, Chiayi County Commissioner Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) and Yunlin County Deputy Commissioner Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), both DPP members, yesterday submitted their merger and upgrade application to the ministry.

Chen said he hoped that the special municipal status would help the region develop.
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