Following multiple failed attempts to win the Penghu county commissioner seat, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has tapped Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復) to run for the post in the Nov. 29 elections, counting not only on his deep connections in the area, but also his increased chances in light of public dissatisfaction with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government.
Unlike the delayed confirmation of the candidacy of his KMT rival Su Kun-hsiung (蘇崑雄), the DPP decided early on to nominate Chen to represent the party in Penghu in next month’s election.
Tsai Chien-hsing (蔡建興) backed out of the DPP’s primary and said he fully supported Chen, further strengthening the party’s morale in the county after Yang Yao (楊曜) was elected a Penghu legislator for the DPP in 2012.
Chen lost his first two bids for Penghu county commissioner to the KMT’s Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉) and Wang Chien-fa (王乾發), as well as a legislative election to the KMT’s Lin Ping-kun (林炳坤), but instead of leaving his hometown, Chen stayed in Penghu to build his connections.
The founder of Penghu’s first distillery who lead the push for direct flights between Penghu and Pingtung County’s Siaoliouciou (小琉球) and whose wife runs a free English-language cram school program, Chen has slowly built up his social network in the region.
With the perceived lack of accomplishment of the ruling KMT central government, many DPP supporters in the county say that Chen has a great chance of turning the political tables in next month’s election.
Chen’s campaign policies focus on the slogan: “Leading Penghu, for your and my happiness” and 12 basic policy tenets.
Chen is calling for the development of winter tourism in the county; the restoration of marine resources; the revitalization of disused land; implementation of care for the elderly; reinvigorating free trade and the economy; creating more jobs; ensuring priority plane ticket slots for Penghu residents; increased medical facilities across the county; promotion of the cultural creative industry; protection of the rights of farmers, fishermen and laborers; the conservation of the county’s cultural heritage; and providing stability for teachers and civil servants.
Chen said in a recent interview with the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) that his policies would help the county lead the region into an economic boom.
Despite the political advantages of his KMT rival being the head of Magong City (馬公), Chen said he would use his time wisely and visit both Penghu and the other islands that are under the county’s jurisdiction.
By putting efforts into campaigning and personally visiting voters, it will not only cement the party’s advantage in the region, but also allow Chen to build on that advantage and move slowly toward victory, he said.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS