Former Tainan county commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智), who on Saturday announced his plan to leave the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and run for Taipei mayor, reaffirmed his bid while criticizing the DPP-led central government for failing to address issues such as wage stagnation and the low birth rate.
During a radio interview, Su said that his withdrawal from the party was aimed at addressing issues that plague the nation, including wage stagnation among young people, the low birth rate, the lack of long-term care insurance and slowing innovative industrial development.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier William Lai (賴清德) have paid attention to those issues, but their policies and performance have failed to meet public expectations, Su said.
“I am not angry [with the DPP] — what I am worried about is the economic plight of Taiwan,” Su said.
He decided to pursue an independent candidacy, because he does not have a government position, Su said, adding that Tsai offered him some positions, which he refused.
Su said he would not drop out, but persist through the election, even if the DPP nominated its own candidate for Taipei mayor.
Asked why a former Tainan county commissioner would pursue the Taipei mayor’s job, Su said that he has been practicing law in Taipei for years and is a long-time resident.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) is known for his financial management by cutting spending and reducing debts, but has a mediocre city management performance and lacks a comprehensive vision of development, said Su, who has yet to announce his policy for city management.
Saying that the DPP is poised to again forgo the Taipei mayoral election to renew its alliance with Ko, Su said that the party would not need to give up the election if the Tsai administration were successful.
Because the popularity of the administration is falling, Ko could boost his popularity by criticizing the DPP, Su said.
Following Su’s announcement, DPP Legislator Pasuya Yao (姚文智) reiterated his call for the DPP to nominate its own candidate for the Taipei mayoral race, especially now that Su has decided to run.
“If the DPP does not make a nomination, the candidate withdrawing from the party would receive it,” because more than half of the party’s supporters do not want to vote for Ko and might support Su, Yao 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
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.