As the race for Hualien County commissioner moves into the final stretch for Saturday's by-election, the Aboriginal vote -- which remains largely undecided -- has become a crucial factor that could end up favoring the dark horse.
"Hualien County's population is made up of four major ethnic groups: Hakka, Hokkien, Aborigines and mainlanders," said Wu Tsai-hsun (吳采勳), a veteran journalist with China Television stationed in Hualien.
PHOTO: YANG YI-CHUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Wu Tsai-hsun said that votes from the Hakka, Hokkien and mainlander groups have been largely secured by KMT maverick Wu Kuo-tung (吳國棟), the DPP's You Ying-lung (游盈隆) and the KMT-PFP alliance nominee Hsieh Shen-shan (謝深山) according to their campaign and party appeal. But, the journalist noted, the majority of Aboriginal voters have yet to show any clear preferences.
A Hakka himself, Wu Kuo-tung's strength in the county's Hakka community is unquestionable.
You is trying to pick up Hakka votes in addition to securing the DPP's traditional 30 percent support from Hokkien voters in the county.
Hsieh, with stumping from both KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
"The Aboriginal voters -- which make up to 23 percent of the Hualien population, or about 50,000 votes -- therefore will now become the crucial factor and have a direct bearing on the outcome of Saturday's election," Wu said.
To woo support and votes from the Aboriginal community, You has already promised in his campaign to offer NT$5,000 per month to the county's 200 Aboriginal chiefs so that they can provide better services to their communities.
You has also pledged to create 2,000 jobs for Aborigines.
In addition, Premier Yu Shyi-kun last Saturday announced that the Truku people (
In another bid to help boost You's candidacy in the Aboriginal communities, President Chen Shui-bian (
It is largely believed that Chen's visit to Hualien for a baseball game is meant to illustrate support and concern for the region's Aborigines and its baseball programs.
It is probably no accident that the visit comes in the wake of news that Tsao Chin-hui (
"East coast Aboriginal communities have long been staunch supporters of the pan-blue camp," Wu said. "But with the appealing pledges made by You, it is hard to predict who the Aboriginals' votes will eventually go to."
Meanwhile, Hsieh has also tried to portray himself as a "friend" of Aborigines. This past weekend, Hsieh, accompanied by both Lien and Soong, made frequent street processions through the regions' Aboriginal communities such Hsiulin and Sofang townships and took part in Aboriginal festivities.
With the approach of the election then, it seem that Aboriginals -- generally regarded as a minority and disadvantaged group -- have suddenly been propelled to the top of the heap and become the favorite of all political parties.
Still, elections are -- by their very nature -- ?full of contingencies, and the effectiveness of these pro-Aboriginal campaigns will not be really be known until the election is over and all the votes are counted.
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