Candidates vying to represent Kaohsiung in the nation's legislature are banking on grass-roots support and their history of service to the public to win office.
"All politics is local," as the popular saying goes.
Nowhere is that more true than in Kaohsiung.
"My family tree is deeply rooted in the city," said KMT hopeful Chiang Yi-wen (
Like Chiang, the KMT's Yao Kao-chiao (
"Having headed the city's police department for five years, I have helped improve the city's security and many locals have thanked me for my efforts," Yao said.
But political watchers say Yao may face challenges and opposition, as much of Kaohsiung's sex industry is located in his constituency.
In addition, the Taiwan Solidarity Union's (TSU) Lo Chi-ming (
The KMT's Tseng Chang-fa (
Compared to the KMT, the DPP has less trouble emphasizing its grass-roots appeal -- making elections in Kaohsiung an easy race for DPP candidates.
Take for example Chu Hsin-yu (
"There are just some `strange' types of groups who will vote for him. That's good enough to get him elected though his poll figures are always low," a DPP official said.
And even though DPP contender Kuo Wen-cheng (郭玟成) has refused to talk to the media, he still enjoys support from voters.
Serving your constituency rather than basking in the public limelight is the most effective way to secure votes, the DPP official said.
One likely winner in Kaohsiung is up-and-coming DPP politician Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), the son of Chen Che-nan (陳哲男), the deputy secretary-general to the president.
Political observers say Chen, who won 98,553 votes three years ago, might be able to help other DPP candidates get elected.
Liao Da-chi (
Liao estimates that roughly 40,000 votes are enough to get elected this year.
Newcomer and doctor Lin Chin-hsin (林進興), who will be running on a DPP ticket, faces a tough battle but believes his record of providing free medical services to the poor will help him win votes.
Of Kaohsiung's 36 candidates, the New Party's Hsieh Chi-ta (謝啟大) and People First Party's Chiu Yi (邱毅) are the two that lack local connections.
"To the advantage of both, they are famous nationally," said Wang Chi-tsong (王啟聰), director of the PFP's Kaohsiung headquarters.
Wang said he hoped campaign rallies featuring Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) will help drum up support for the PFP.
Soong garnered 300 million votes in the city during last year's presidential election.
The party's campaign message is that a vote for a PFP candidate is a vote for Soong.
The PFP's campaign slogan is "Giving Soong a hand again."
Election prospects for the 16 independent candidates running in Kaohsiung are expected to be slim.
During the last legislative election, 81,083 votes came from non-partisan supporters, who mostly voted for Lin Hong-tsung.
Lin has now joined ranks with the KMT, and observers say that he is likely to siphon off votes from independent candidates.
In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation. Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook. Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges. Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs
NORTHERN STRIKE: Taiwanese military personnel have been training ‘in strategic and tactical battle operations’ in Michigan, a former US diplomat said More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in this year’s Northern Strike military exercise held at Lake Michigan by the US, a Pentagon-run news outlet reported yesterday. The Michigan National Guard-sponsored drill involved 7,500 military personnel from 36 nations and territories around the world, the Stars and Stripes said. This year’s edition of Northern Strike, which concluded on Sunday, simulated a war in the Indo-Pacific region in a departure from its traditional European focus, it said. The change indicated a greater shift in the US armed forces’ attention to a potential conflict in Asia, it added. Citing a briefing by a Michigan National Guard senior
CHIPMAKING INVESTMENT: J.W. Kuo told legislators that Department of Investment Review approval would be needed were Washington to seek a TSMC board seat Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said he received information about a possible US government investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and an assessment of the possible effect on the firm requires further discussion. If the US were to invest in TSMC, the plan would need to be reviewed by the Department of Investment Review, Kuo told reporters ahead of a hearing of the legislature’s Economics Committee. Kuo’s remarks came after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said that the US government is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that
CLAMPING DOWN: At the preliminary stage on Jan. 1 next year, only core personnel of the military, the civil service and public schools would be subject to inspections Regular checks are to be conducted from next year to clamp down on military personnel, civil servants and public-school teachers with Chinese citizenship or Chinese household registration, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Taiwanese who obtain Chinese household registration or a Chinese passport would be deprived of their Taiwanese citizenship and lose their right to work in the military, public service or public schools, it said. To identify and prevent the illegal employment of holders of Chinese ID cards or
RSS