New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday ended one of the biggest guessing games in the nation’s political world as he said he would seek re-election in November and vowed to serve out a second term if he wins.
“Yes. I am seeking re-election as New Taipei mayor,” Chu posted on Facebook at 8am, ending months of speculation that he would not run so he could focus on preparing for the 2016 presidential election.
In response to reporters’ inquiries later in the day, Chu said that if he was re-elected, he would “do my job well and complete my four-year tenure.”
Photo: Chen Wei-tsung, Taipei Times
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member, who enjoys higher support than other potential KMT candidates for the presidential election, did not rule out running.
“It is not that one must serve in a specific public office because no one else can do it well. There is no position that has to be served by a specific person and no one else. It has been a great blessing to me that I am New Taipei City mayor,” Chu said.
Chu said in his Facebook post that he enjoys what he has been doing as mayor.
“I really like my job. While I have been busy, I feel steady,” he said, adding that he regarded governing a city as no less daunting a task than running a country, especially since New Taipei City has a huge urban-rural divide.
Chu said that his administrative team has made progress delivering on the campaign pledges he made four years ago, including expanding rapid transit systems, building sports centers and community elderly nursing centers and introducing organic vegetables into school lunch programs.
“It is not just an obligation that my team and I have to do more to make the city better and to make city residents feel a greater sense of well-being. I feel blessed I have the chance to change the city that I love and to do real work,” Chu said.
His announcement has apparently galvanized the KMT, whose prospects for the year-end elections look bleak due to the lackluster performance of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration and allegations of corruption involving Taoyuan County Commissioner John Wu (吳志揚), who is also seeking re-election, and Keelung City Council Speaker Huang Ching-tai (黃景泰), the party’s candidate for Keelung mayor.
The KMT’s Taipei mayoral candidate, Sean Lien (連勝文), who various polls have placed behind National Taiwan University Hospital physician Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), an independent who will represent the pan-green camp in the race, said that Chu’s re-election bid “gave KMT supporters a boost in confidence” about the year-end elections.
Chu’s decision to run for re-election will spearhead the KMT’s campaigns in Taipei, Taoyuan County and Keelung, KMT Central Policy Committee chief executive Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) said.
Several KMT lawmakers in Taipei and New Taipei City said they were happy with Chu’s decision.
“It is exciting news and I feel reassured,” KMT Legislator Chiang Hui-chen (江惠貞) said.
However, the two rivals for the pan-green camp nomination, Democratic Progressive Party member Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃) and Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) of the Taiwan Solidarity Union both said they were confident that they could beat Chu.
“Finally, I know who my [KMT] rival is,” Yu said.
Several KMT names had been rumored for the New Taipei City race, including Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), New Taipei City Deputy Commissioner Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and former Taipei County commissioner Chou Hsi-wei.
Yu said that he remained skeptical that Chu would actually serve out his term if re-elected because he did not think Chu has ever been satisfied with the job.
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