The Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) Lu Kuo-hua (呂國華) yesterday demolished Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Chen Ding-nan's (陳定南) house of dreams yesterday, winning by a 10,000 vote margin in the race for Ilan County commissioner.
"I appreciate the people of Ilan giving me a chance to serve them in the Ilan County Government," Lu said after he declared victory last night.
"I am only an ordinary Ilan native but this county needs some changes. I can make that happen," Lu said.
IMPROVEMENT NEEDED
At the same time, Chen admitted defeat and congratulated his opponent on TV. He said that he accepted the result of the election, which indicated that there was room for him to improve.
"President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) campaigned for me four times" he said. "Presidential Office Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun even stayed with me for the last 10 days."
"I really appreciate their help and I would like to apologize both to them and to my supporters," he said.
CLOSE CALL
Lu received 121,463 votes to Chen's 112,853 votes.
Lu and Chen's race was a close one, because the difference between the two men yesterday was never more than 10,000 votes.
Nevertheless, Lu declared victory at around 6:40pm while the ballots were still being counted.
Chen decided to resign as minister of justice last January and return to his hometown to run in the election.
His KMT challenger, how-ever, gradually garnered more support, largely due to his record and popularity as mayor of Ilan City. Lu, who began his career as a social worker, has won recognition for his long-time devotion to Ilan.
To assist Chen's campaign, Yu and former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) traveled to Ilan to stump for him for the final 10 days of the campaign.
Among Ilan County's 12 constituencies, Tungshan Township (冬山鄉) was regarded as the most important for Chen, because it is Yu's hometown. Chen defeated Lu there by a margin of 5,000 votes.
However, in Ilan City, where Lu is the mayor, Lu received 7,000 more votes than Chen.
HISTORY NO HELP
Twenty-four years ago, Chen ran for the commissioner's post in the same constituency and paved the way for long-term DPP control of the county after the party was formed in 1986.
Chen's self-discipline and exacting personality earned him considerable credibility and exposure, and this helped him in a successful run for the legislature a few years later.
In one of the more unusual moments during yesterday's polling -- and one captured by a a slew of photographers -- Chen Ding-nan's niece showed up to vote in a white wedding gown before going to her engagement party.
At his campaign headquarters last night, many supporters had tears in their eyes, while some vented their anger by slamming chairs on the ground.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS