Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday called for a campaign debate with his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rival Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) by the end of this month, urging the DPP to agree on the participation of media representatives in the debate.
Negotiations over televised debates between the mayoral candidates in next month’s special municipality elections broke down earlier this month after the two parties failed to reach a consensus on whether media representatives and civic groups should attend the debates.
Hau, who insisted on having media and civic group representatives participate, argued that he would not have time for a debate next month after the Taipei International Flora Expo opens on Nov. 6.
Photo: CNA
“I still don’t understand why Su and the DPP oppose the participation of media representatives in the debates ... The KMT is still negotiating to make the debates happen,” he said.
The DPP has showed meeting records to defend its stance, and said the KMT was responsible for the breakdown of the planned debates as it had flip-flopped on a number of key issues the two parties had previously agreed upon.
Su’s campaign spokesman Andrew Wang (王閔生) slammed the Hau camp for smearing Su with a series of recent attacks and said Su never opposed holding a debate.
“We should be examining Hau’s municipal performance over the past four years and what Taipei residents want to see is Hau and Su standing on the stage for a debate. That would be the best way to examine the abilities of the candidates,” he said.
Hau’s team has held four press conferences since last week to criticize Su’s proposals or policies. In a press conference yesterday, the team challenged Su’s ability to address public safety during his term as Taipei County commissioner.
KMT Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said the Taipei County Government solved only 40 percent of criminal cases in 2004 when Su was serving as the commissioner.
He said under Hau’s administration the Taipei City Government solved 75 percent of crime cases last year.
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