Two more Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members have announced bids to be the party’s candidate in November’s Taipei mayoral election, further intensifying an already competitive race.
Former KMT legislator Sun Ta-chien (孫大千) yesterday announced his bid on Facebook, unveiling the theme of his campaign, “Finding ‘P.’”
“In Taipei, you can easily find the ‘P’ sign. It used to mean ‘parking,’ but in 2018 it means something different,” said Sun, a four-term lawmaker who failed to win re-election in 2016.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Sun said the best way to overcome adversity is by attaching new meanings to things, which is why the “P” sign should stand for “purity” this year.
According to the former lawmaker’s vision for the capital, Taipei should be “a city of quality and a brand of love” that shares resources with other parts of Taiwan, unites with other Chinese cities, creates the biggest e-market in Asia, and brings positive energy to the world.
“What kind of mayor do we need in Taipei? A celebrity-like mayor? A mayor with the support of a party? Or a mayor elected without stardom and election resources, a pure mayor?” Sun wrote.
Sun’s remarks were an apparent criticism of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), an independent supported by the Democratic Progressive Party in the 2014 elections whose remarks often make headlines.
Meanwhile, former Mainland Affairs Council deputy minster Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) yesterday also announced his bid, saying his bid would stop an incompetent, chaos-causing mayor from winning a second term.
“The residents of Taipei have tolerated Ko’s deviancy for too long and have paid dearly for this political novice... It is time to say no to Ko and take back their power,” Chang said in a news release.
Chang said his goal was to transform Taipei into a city on a par with any developed city in the world, as well as to use the capital as a new engine to reinitiate cross-strait cooperation and alleviate the current tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
With Sun and Chang, the KMT now has five aspirants for the Taipei mayor, including former legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中), former Cabinet spokeswoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Taipei City Councilor Chung Hsiao-ping (鍾小平).
The party’s candidate is expected to be decided by an opinion poll next month.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a
RSS