Aside from President and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Premier William Lai (賴清德), known for his grassroots connections, is viewed as a valuable asset as the party prepares for next year’s local elections.
The elections are to take place either on Nov. 24 or Dec. 1 next year, pending a final decision by the Central Election Commission.
Lai has been visiting local constituencies throughout the nation over the past few days to talk to voters about the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program and other government policies, a move that should help boost the party’s support base ahead of the elections, political watchers said.
Lai’s first visit was to Pingtung County on Friday.
The premier was warmly received, Pingtung County Government spokesman Huang Chien-chia (黃建嘉) said, adding that Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an (潘孟安), a DPP member, plans to run for a second term.
Lai’s approval ratings are high and he will be a major player in assisting the campaigns of other candidates, Huang said, adding that DPP county councilor aspirants hope the premier will visit the county more often.
DPP Legislator Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪), who has been chosen by the party to run for Taitung County commissioner, said Lai would visit Taitung later this week.
Liu said he hoped Lai and members of the Cabinet would make several more trips to better understand the county’s situation.
The visits will also be helpful to his campaign as well as strengthen support for the party among the county’s voters, Liu added.
The DPP is scheduled to hold a news conference on Wednesday next week, during which Tsai will announce the list of commissioners and mayors who will run for re-election.
Several candidates hope to appear on stage with Lai and Tsai given their importance as representatives of the party leadership, DPP Deputy Secretary-General Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) said.
Nine commissioners and mayors have already expressed their intention to be present at the news conference, she said.
Candidates have been looking for Lai’s public support, Hsu said, citing DPP Legislator Wu Ping-jui’s (吳秉叡) invitation to Lai to join him and others on a hiking excursion.
Wu is planning to run for New Taipei City mayor.
“If the DPP has a high approval rating, then standing on that stage next to the president, the premier and other leaders will be worth a lot,” Hsu said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese