Pai Hsiu-hsiung (白秀雄), former Taipei deputy mayor from 1994 to 2004, spanning the administrations of the Democratic Progressive Party’s Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), said he is disappointed by the present KMT and would support a mayoral candidate who is willing to face the city’s problems head-on.
At a forum on food safety organized by an educational foundation, of which he is the chairman, Pai addressed independent Taipei mayoral candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who was present, as “Mayor Ko” and said he regretted the absence of KMT mayoral candidate Sean Lien (連勝文).
When asked whether he has decided to support a particular candidate, Pai did not answer directly, but said he would support a candidate who “has the courage to squarely face the problems of city administration.”
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Pai, a former sociology professor who specialized in social welfare, has been invited by Ko to be the convener on a selection committee for a future head of Taipei’s social welfare bureau.
When asked by reporters about his party affiliation, Pai said he used to be a member of the KMT, but is no longer.
“I am an ardent disciple of [Republic of China founding father] Sun Yat-sen’s (孫逸仙) Three Principles of People, but what the present KMT has done has betrayed Sun’s principles and greatly disappointed me,” Pai said.
When asked whether supporting Ko would subject him to extra pressure, Pai said it is to be “expected.”
“What should be done [is to be done]. What would become of Taiwan if everyone was afraid of outside pressure? We could change Taipei first and then change Taiwan. A change to Taiwan must start with a change in Taipei,” he said.
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