The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday won the mayoral by-election of Huatan Township (花壇) in Changhua County — a win the party claimed was a victory against rampant vote-buying practices in the region.
Yesterday’s by-election was the third election for the post in the past two years, with the previous elections invalidated because of lawsuits over alleged vote-buying.
Worried that vote-buying might once again affect the outcome, the DPP on Friday called for a clean fight and urged judicial authorities to pay careful attention to the problem.
Photo: Tang Shih-ming, Taipei Times
According to a tally from the Changhua County Election Commission last night, DPP candidate Lee Cheng-chi (李成濟) secured 7,425 votes, independent candidate Li Yueh-min garnered 4,936 votes and another independent, Huang Chien-chang (黃健彰), the son of former township mayor Shih Hua-fen (施華芬), received 4,569 votes. Yesterday’s voter turnout was 47 percent among the 35,712 eligible voters, the commission said.
“As long as DPP members persist in their effort to defeat local factions controlled by members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the DPP should win recognition from the people,” DPP spokesperson Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) yesterday evening quoted DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as saying.
Former DPP legislator Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠), who previously represented Changhua, also commented on the DPP’s victory.
He said that besides the surge in commodity prices that had occurred under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration, voters had been enraged to learn that Ma was considering easing the import ban on US beef with ractopamine residues.
Many DPP supporters, indignant over Tsai’s loss in the Jan. 14 presidential election, had campaigned for Lee, Wong said.
He added that the township had drawn the attention of the authorities by having three by-elections in two years, and was therefore able to deter vote-buying in yesterday’s vote.
Lee put the vote-buying issue at the forefront of his campaign. The slogan “How many by-elections do we need?” earned him widespread recognition from the area’s voters, Wong said.
Translated by Stacy Hsu, Staff Writer
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS