Former minister of the interior Chang Po-ya (
Citing her past experience as mayor of Chiayi, a legislator and governor of Taiwan Province, Chang said her administrative ability, credentials, intelligence, integrity, achievements and fortitude are known to everyone.
Her seven years as director-general of the Department of Health also make her the most qualified candidate for the mayoralty of the port city, which is facing an outbreak of dengue fever, Chang said.
The former minister urged people from both Chiayi and Kaohsiung cities to continue to support her.
Chang said she will obtain the right to run for Kaohsiung mayor by changing her household registration to Kaohsiung City, but this will not change her attachment and devotion to Chiayi.
While Chang was born, grew up and served in Chiayi City, she said she has also studied for seven years and held a teaching position for 12 years in Kaohsiung City.
Chang decided to join the Kaohsiung mayoral race after the legislature rejected her nomination as vice president of the Examination Yuan last month.
Chang has sought the support of the KMT and PFP for her mayoral bid but has not obtained a commitment from either of the parties.
KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (
However, Lin said the party's top concern at the moment is to select one of its three aspirants to compete with the PFP's nominee, Chang Chao-hsiung (
The KMT has thus far not considered the possibility of supporting Chang Po-ya, Lin said.
Facing problems in its selection process, the KMT, which had originally planned to select its nominee this week, has postponed the task.
The three KMT aspirants are former vice mayor Huang Jun-ying (
Results of opinion polls on the popularity of the three hopefuls, which were released last Tuesday, showed that Huang Jun-ying -- favored by the party leadership -- was least favored by the public. Huang Chi-chuan topped the polls for popularity.
Though the polls are not the only criterion in the selection process, the party risks losing support if it insists on picking Huang Jun-ying.
PFP spokesman Hsieh Kung-ping (
Hsieh added that both parties must race against the clock given that they have so far failed to select their joint candidate and now have only four months to go before the poll.
Hsieh confirmed that Chang Po-ya is on the list of possible candidates, saying both parties should adopt an open mind in this matter because it is their goal to nominate a candidate capable of beating the DPP's Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).
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