Taiwanese overseas compatriots in Canada concerned about the elections in January have decided to return to Taiwan to vote and the several hundred discount plane tickets offered by the Greater Vancouver Taiwanese-Canadian Association have already been sold.
Association chairman Douglas Chiang (江文基), who also doubles as head of the Western Canada Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) Support Group, said the narrowing gap between the two main parties gives overseas compatriots the feeling that their party of choice “has a chance” and it has led to a high number of overseas compatriots seeking to return to Taiwan to vote.
Chiang said this was not just happening in Vancouver, as Toronto was also seeing high numbers of overseas compatriots heading back to Taiwan to vote, adding that the numbers surpassed those during the 2008 presidential election.
Some have even returned to Taiwan early just to help out with the election campaigns, Chiang said.
Japan Airlines economy-class discount tickets promoted by the association cost less than C$1,000 (US$983), reducing the financial burden on returning overseas compatriots, Chiang said, adding that some had even chosen to spend an extra C$100 for a stop in Japan for two days to brighten their spirits before jumping into the tense election atmosphere.
A Xing Vacation Corp official based in Vancouver, surnamed Ni (倪), said almost every Taiwan-bound flight out of Vancouver in the two weeks prior to the elections is fully booked, adding there was a significant difference from the same period last year.
Ni said the only reason was that overseas compatriots were seeking to return to Taiwan to vote.
However, Ni was unable to determine whether pan-blue or pan-green supporters were in the majority, saying that at this sensitive juncture, with the elections only two months away, she avoided discussing political preferences with customers.
Translated by Jake Chung, staff writer
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