Candidates for Kinmen County commissioner visited some of the area's isolated and sparsely populated islets yesterday to scour the area for votes.
New Party candidate Lee Chu-feng (
"I believe voters have been aware that no other candidate has a long-term devotion to the county like mine," Lee said.
Lee, who represents Kinmen in the legislature, has failed twice in his bid to win the commissioner's seat.
The New Party candidate's major rival is the DPP's Chen Zau-nan (
Chen's bid marks the first time the DPP has fielded a candidate for commissioner in a county dominated by the New Party.
Though the candidate has no family ties in Kinmen, he shares the same name as the Chen Clan Association, a powerful faction that is backing him in the race.
Another promising candidate is the People First Party's (PFP) Tsai Shih-min (
Through his position, Tsai has managed to build a strong rapport with Kinmen residents and is supported by the Tsai Clan Association.
PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) visited Kinmen on Nov. 26 to stump for Tsai, giving him a boost among undecided voters.
Kinmen County covers 150.5km2. The farthest area in the county is Wuchiu (烏坵) township, which sits on a small islet 133km from Kinmen's major island.
In Tainan County, political watchers say that pro-KMT factions have united for the first time to win a victory in the stronghold of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Political observers say the DPP's strength has been weakened by the participation of Wei Yao-chien (魏耀乾), a former party member, in the commissioner's race.
Wei may siphon away votes from DPP candidate Su Huan-chih (
Su's fight against Wei is expected to leave the candidate weaker against KMT competitor Wu Ching-chi (
Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
To give Su a boost, first lady Wu Shu-chen (
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
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
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