Former DPP Chairman Shih Ming-te (施明德) will today formally announce his intention to run for Kaohsiung mayor, one of his close aides said yesterday.
Shih, who quit the DPP due to irreconcilable differences in political ideals with the party leadership, will issue a formal statement on his electoral bid at the Kaohsiung Harbor to signify his determination to push for an early opening of direct links, his aide said.
Shih, who is also a former legislator, reportedly has finalized a comprehensive blueprint to campaign for the mayoral post of the southern Taiwan port city.
Shih, who spent a quarter of a century in prison due to his pro-democracy and pro-independence stance during the martial law era, ran for a legislative seat as an independent last year, but lost.
Political observers said Shih's decision to join the Kaohsiung mayoral race would certainly have an impact on the competition between Taiwan's two large political camps -- the "pan blue" alliance of the opposition KMT and the PFP and the "pan green" forces of the DPP and its tiny ally, the TSU.
Sources said incumbent Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who doubles as DPP chairman, is pleased to see Shih join the race as he believes that Shih would mainly attract ballots from the "pan blue" camp.
Nevertheless, Shih's personal aides didn't agree with Hsieh's view. They said Shih could attract the majority of median voters. Moreover, they said, Shih would not oppose cooperation with the "pan blue" camp. According to Shih's aides, Shih stands a better chance than any possible "pan blue" candidate in defeating Hsieh in the year-end mayoral race.
"The results of a series of public opinion polls conducted by Shih's campaign supporters shows that Shih far outperforms all the three candidates that are vying for the KMT nomination," said one of Shih's close aides.
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