DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Lee Ying-yuan (
Both of the rallies began almost simultaneously, as did the appearances of Lee and Ma on center stage.
Both camps had also purchased air time to have their rallies broadcast live on cable TV.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
While the DPP brought out its heavyweights -- Premier Yu Shyi-kun, Taipei County Commissioner Su Chen-chang (蘇貞昌) and DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) -- to make the case for Lee's candidacy at Ta-an Forest Park last night, Ma's rally took on a softer tune as he invited artists and athletes to share the stage with him at 228 Memorial Park.
Ta-an park was filled with the sounds of blaring air horns and screams of dong suan, "get elected" in Taiwanese, as the crowd waved green and white flags as they watched dance and pop music performances.
Addressing the crowd, Lee reiterated his goal of building a world-class capital city and called on Taipei residents to support his bid for mayor.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"Taipei City under Ma has been full of nightmares," Lee said, citing issues such as the city's ongoing police disciplinary scandals and Ma's failed attempt to eradicate the city's sex industry.
"It is my goal to turn Taipei, an ugly duckling, into a great beauty," Lee said, emphasizing his determination, a quality he said the Ma government lacks.
Contrary to the "high" displayed at Lee's rally, Ma's appeared to be mellow and more laid back.
Asking rally attendees not to call out dong suan or bring air horns, the Ma camp opted for a non-traditional rally, saying it wanted to give Taipei residents "a high-class cultural feast."
In between performances such as traditional puppet dramas, folk operas and an appearance by a basketball player, Ma spoke of his record and shared his visions for another term.
Taipei has become cleaner under his administration's recycling project, Ma said, adding that the city government's water-rationing efforts during this spring's drought efficiently kept the drought's impact on residents' daily lives to a minimum.
"It's my aim to build Taipei into a city that's full of love and harmony," Ma said, adding that his record shows his determination to do a good job.
With less than three months to go before the year-end mayoral election, the campaign for the post is heating up.
Lee last week published his autobiography, while a biography of Ma hit the shelves yesterday.
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
SECURITY: The New Zealand and Australian navies also sailed military vessels through the Strait yesterday to assert the right of freedom of navigation The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on Wednesday made its first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait in response to the intrusion by a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft into Japan’s sovereign airspace last month, Yomiuri Shimbun reported yesterday. The Japanese news platform reported that the destroyer JS Sazanamisailed down through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, citing sources in the Japanese government with knowledge of the matter. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to comment on the reports at a regular briefing because they concern military operations. Military vessels from New Zealand and Australia also sailed through the Strait on the same day, Wellington’s defense ministry
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