Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson and Sinbei City mayoral candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday broke her silence regarding an accusation that has followed her throughout the campaign, saying that she hoped she would have the chance to stay in the soon-to-be Sinbei City for the next four or eight years.
Her remarks came one day after her Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) opponent in the election, Eric Chu (朱立倫), fueled speculation that Tsai represents the opposition party’s best chance in the next presidential elections, -accussing Tsai of using her campaign for Sinbei City mayor as a springboard for the 2012 presidential election.
At a campaign stop in Sinjhuang (新莊), Tsai said that if elected: “I hope that in the future four or maybe eight years, [I] can ensure that [my] campaign policies are carried out one by one.”
NO SPRINGBOARD
“I also hope that in the future four or maybe eight years, I will have the chance to stay with Sinbei City residents through the good and bad, honor and disgrace,” she added.
“My aim has always been very clear, I want to win this election battle and become the mayor of Sinbei City,” she said, speaking alongside former DPP chairperson Lin I-hsiung (林義雄), who gave her his endorsement.
Those remarks are believed to be the clearest signal to date that Tsai could postpone a speculated run for president if elected today. In the past, the DPP candidate had said only that she would be “responsible until the end.”
PARTY PRIMARY
Her remarks made one day prior to the vote, however, appeared to have failed to convince her counterpart, Chu, who again accused her of using today’s vote as a party primary for the 2012 presidential election.
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