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.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their