Former Taipei EasyCard Corp chairman Sean Lien (連勝文) yesterday remained tight-lipped about his bid for the Taipei mayoral election, while a new poll showed that National Taiwan University’s Department of Traumatology director Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) would obtain more support than Lien if he joined the race.
The poll, conducted by Trend Survey & Research Co on Oct. 31, showed that 39.1 percent of respondents said they would support the independent Ko in the Taipei mayoral election if he were a candidate, while support for Lien, as the KMT representative, would be 33.5 percent.
Lien, son of former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰), has been the most popular contender in the pan-blue camp to represent the KMT in the race. He declined to confirm his bid yesterday and said there are issues to consider before making his decision.
Photo: CNA
“If I were to think of my own interests, I would stay away from [the election]. Anyone who wants to live happily should not participate in politics. However, if I want to make a contribution to society, I need to consider carefully if I can contribute to society and how I can do so,” he said yesterday after delivering a speech at Shih Hsin University.
Lien has reportedly been unable to make up his mind due to health reasons and a shooting incident in 2010, in which he was shot in the cheek during election campaign activities in New Taipei City (新北市).
He has said that his family opposes his involvement in politics following the incident and acknowledged that his personal safety is his main concern.
Lien shrugged off the poll result and dismissed rumors that he would be Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng’s (王金平) running mate in the 2016 presidential election.
“This is an amusing question — [The rumor] was spread by an individual to a specific media outlet,” he said.
In another poll conducted among hopefuls in the pan-green camp, Ko, an independent, won a support rating of 39.1 percent. Support for former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was 17.2 percent and lawyer Wellington Koo (顧立雄) had 9.8 percent.
Lu yesterday dismissed the poll result and said she would strive for victory in the election.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
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