Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) is the nation’s most well-liked mayor, a poll released by the Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday found.
Chen, who recently beat Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) to represent the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the year-end elections for to-be-created Greater Kaohsiung special municipality, received a 75 percent approval rating.
In second place was Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung (劉政鴻) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) with an approval rating of 73 percent, followed by Yang, who received 72 percent in third.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) of the KMT was ranked 16th out of the 25 cities and counties with an approval rating of 50 percent.
DPP mayors and county commissioners were the biggest winners of the poll, taking five of the top 10 spots, while the KMT took four and independent Hualien County Commissioner Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁) ranked ninth.
“I will continue to ask that both myself and municipal government work even harder,” Chen told reporters.
She promised to ensure a seamless transition for city residents following the merger with Kaohsiung County on Dec. 25.
The survey was roughly consistent with a poll conducted last year by the Commonwealth Magazine which saw Chen, Liu and Yang take the second, third and fourth places respectively.
Lin Jung-tzer (林政則), a former KMT Hsinchu mayor who joined the Cabinet as minister without portfolio in February, was ranked first, while his replacement, Hsu Ming-tsai (?]) came third from bottom.
The United Daily News poll was the latest of several polls over the last month giving Chen high ratings.
Rounding off the bottom five were Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), Taoyuan County Commissioner John Wu (吳志揚), Hsinchu County Commissioner Chiu Ching-chun (邱鏡淳) and Taichung County Commissioner Huang Chung-sheng (黃仲生), all of whom are members of the KMT.
The survey was based on the telephone interviews with 17,232 people conducted between April 26 and May 14.
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