Nominees for the legislative elections on Jan. 14 are not the only ones canvassing votes in the streets, with their spouses sometimes acting as an aide, coming up with campaign strategies or making fliers.
Almost every nominee has an important “other half” behind them.
In the case of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Greater Kaohsiung fifth district nominee Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲), her husband, former Tainan deputy mayor Hsu Yang-ming (許陽明), has often advised on political issues and busied himself in the campaign headquarters.
An example of Hsu’s contributions was his hand-made piggy bank with LED lights when the DPP promoted the “three little pigs” fund-raising drive, which resulted in his wife gleefully calling him a “genius.”
Hsu also personally designed all the fliers for Kuan’s three previous successful legislative election campaigns and is again making Kuan’s fliers for this campaign.
When asked, Hsu smiled and said: “I know more of what’s in her heart.”
In the second district of Taipei, one of the districts that the DPP is most confident of taking, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative nominee Justin Chou (周守訓) is fighting hard for a consecutive term against rival DPP nominee Pasuya Yao (姚文智).
“Campaigning for the legislature is kind of like campaigning for borough warden; you can canvas the whole main street by yourself, but you can’t also get the votes from the alleys,” Chou said, adding that he was lucky that his wife, former TV news anchor Wang Yong-he (汪用和), could help canvas the female vote.
“I hope to let the people feel my utmost sincerity by mobilizing my entire family during elections,” Chou said.
Chou’s aides have also said that although Wang was a celebrity, she was more approachable without her role as an anchorwoman, adding that she walks to places that are inaccessible to cars, with only an aide and a microphone.
She moved a lot of voters with her method of canvassing, the aides said.
Nominated for the seat representing Greater Kaohsiung first district, DPP legislator nominee Chiu Yi-ying’s (邱議瑩) recent surgery to remove an ovarian tumor prompted her husband, Greater Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Lee Yung-te (李永得), to take leave from his duties to help with her campaign.
Together with her friends Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓) and Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) helping in the campaign, Lee has also taken a hand in holding all the campaign meetings, as well as helping canvas votes.
One time, Chiu came back home late at night after a busy canvassing schedule to find that Lee had already washed all the clothes, and he then gave her a massage to take off the pressure of campaigning.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if the next president of that country decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today. “We would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said during a legislative hearing. At the same time, Taiwan is paying close attention to the Central American region as a whole, in the wake of a visit there earlier this year by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lin said. Rubio visited Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, during which he
RSS