The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is to field its own candidate for Taipei mayor, the party said yesterday, adding that it has not ruled out tapping Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) or Premier William Lai (賴清德) as its nominee.
The DPP Electoral Strategy Committee held discussions about the issue with grassroots officials, including city councilors and borough wardens, and the majority said the party should nominate its own candidate for the Nov. 24 race, DPP spokesman Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) said.
“The majority believe the DPP should nominate its own [Taipei] mayoral candidate to achieve synergy between the central and local governments, fulfill the DPP’s promise to carry out reforms and put into practice the DPP’s vision for the capital,” he said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
After the DPP cooperated with then-candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), an independent, in the 2014 Taipei mayoral election and together achieved the difficult task of transition of political power in the capital, the party went on to become the ruling party and now holds more than half of the legislative seats, Cheng said.
“At these critical moments of reform, the DPP should bear greater responsibility, so the future [Taipei] mayor should fully understand the DPP’s goals, reflect the DPP’s values and govern in sync with the central government to push forward policies together,” he said.
The committee is to begin evaluating suitable nominees that it will recommend to the DPP chairperson, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), he said, adding that the nominee must be a DPP member.
So far, Legislator Pasuya Yao (姚文智), former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and former Tainan County commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智) have declared their intention to run for Taipei mayor, he said.
The committee expects to decide on a candidate by the end of this month, coconvener Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) said, adding that the “draft pick” would be based on the result of a comprehensive evaluation, while opinion polls would only be used for reference.
Asked whether Chen Chu or Lai, widely believed to be the party’s strongest bets, would be considered, Chen Ming-wen said they have not been ruled out.
Prior to the announcement, Ko was asked how he would feel if the DPP decides against supporting him.
“It will be very thrilling,” Ko said, adding that he would accept the challenge, like he did in 2016, when he went on a 520km bicycle trip from the nation’s northernmost tip — New Taipei City’s Fuguijiao Lighthouse (富貴角燈塔) — to its southernmost tip — Pingtung County’s Oluanpi Lighthouse (鵝鑾鼻燈塔).
Ko said that if he wins re-election while running against candidates from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the DPP, then “it means Taiwanese society can finally break the pan-blue camp’s and pan-green camp’s hold.”
After hearing the DPP’s decision, Ko said he felt “very calm” and that performing his duties earnestly and properly is the best way to win re-election.
Ko said he respects that political parties have their own considerations and that he will fight until the end.
Former KMT legislator and Taipei mayoral aspirant Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) said that although the DPP had ended its “affair” with Ko, he still considers Ko to be his biggest enemy.
Meanwhile, Taipei City Government Deputy Secretary-General Lee Wen-ying (李文英) said that, as a DPP member, she has tendered her resignation because of ethical considerations.
BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The planned transit by the ‘Baden-Wuerttemberg’ and the ‘Frankfurt am Main’ would be the German Navy’s first passage since 2002 Two German warships are set to pass through the Taiwan Strait in the middle of this month, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. Reuters last month reported that the warships, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main, were awaiting orders from Berlin to sail the Strait, prompting a rebuke to Germany from Beijing. Der Spiegel cited unspecified sources as saying Beijing would not be formally notified of the German ships’ passage to emphasize that Berlin views the trip as normal. The German Federal Ministry of Defense declined to comment. While
‘UPHOLDING PEACE’: Taiwan’s foreign minister thanked the US Congress for using a ‘creative and effective way’ to deter Chinese military aggression toward the nation The US House of Representatives on Monday passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, aimed at deterring Chinese aggression toward Taiwan by threatening to publish information about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials’ “illicit” financial assets if Beijing were to attack. The act would also “restrict financial services for certain immediate family of such officials,” the text of the legislation says. The bill was introduced in January last year by US representatives French Hill and Brad Sherman. After remarks from several members, it passed unanimously. “If China chooses to attack the free people of Taiwan, [the bill] requires the Treasury secretary to publish the illicit
A senior US military official yesterday warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing’s “dangerous” moves in the South China Sea during the first talks of their kind between the commanders. Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of Taiwan and China’s increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions, but they have sought to re-establish regular military-to-military talks in a bid to prevent flashpoint disputes from spinning out of control. Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and Wu Yanan (吳亞男), head of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, talked via videoconference. Paparo “underscored the importance
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
RSS