The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday launched its latest campaign video series entitled “Writing a Letter to Taiwan,” with three versions aimed at voters in northern, central and southern Taiwan.
The videos, made for TV and online broadcast, invite the public to write a letter to express their concern for and feelings about Taiwan, as well as their hopes and aspirations, DPP Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said at the party’s headquarters in Taipei.
They were filmed in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, he added.
Photo: CNA
Letter senders might receive a written reply from a prominent DPP figure or from one of the party’s legislative candidates, he said.
DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) urged people to vote for the DPP, saying it is the only party that can “safeguard the nation and protect Taiwan.”
The DPP faces two big challenges at this pivotal moment: China meddling in the elections and splintering of the main political parties, Kuan said.
Participation by a number of smaller pro-Taiwan parties could draw votes away from the DPP, but “if the party [DPP] could overcome this challenge, then we would become the main stabilizing party for Taiwan,” she said.
The video for Kaohsiung residents — called Taiwan, We are Sorry (台灣,對不起) — showed people writing about the unfulfilled promises of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), who was elected in November last year and has taken leave to run as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate.
One of the characters is shown writing “drilling for oil cannot be exchanged for freedom” (石油不能換到自由) — a stab at Han’s mayoral campaign promise that Kaohsiung residents would get rich with his plan to drill for oil in Taiwan’s islands in the South China Sea.
Kuan said she hoped the sacrifice that Kaohsiung residents made last year in voting for Han would be worth it, if it brings about a new awakening for the nation.
Separately, DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and other officials said that Han’s running mate, former premier Simon Chang (張善政), was encouraging illegal gambling when he referred to underground betting pools at a radio talk show yesterday, saying that the odds of a DPP or KMT win in the presidential race is close to even.
“Chang should have goodwill in his heart and do charitable acts, instead of encouraging people to engage in illegal activities,” Cho said.
“Judicial agencies are working hard to crack down on vote-buying and illegal underground betting on the election outcome. The government has given its full support to this very important work relating to the election campaign,” he said.
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