President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), in his capacity as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, spent yesterday campaigning for KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), seeking to keep the city under the party’s control amid a tight battle.
Ma spent the whole morning campaigning for Hau, accompanying him to meet with local voters in Huannan Market, Baoan Temple, Dihua Street and the Xiahai City God Temple.
“We are calling for Taipei residents to support Mayor Hau’s re-election bid. Mayor Hau continued municipal projects that I left behind for him, and he is doing a better job than me,” Ma said after visiting Huan-nan Market.
Later, while attending an event celebrating the KMT’s 116th anniversary at his campaign headquarters, Hau said that he faces a tough battle, but only through electing him and other KMT candidates in Saturday’s election can the nation’s economy continue to grow.
“The nation’s economic growth rate reached 9.98 percent this year and the KMT must win the elections to continue this great achievement,” he said.
Former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), who also attended the event to campaign for Hau, acknowledged there is a deadlock situation in the Taipei mayoral race and he urged party members to take the elections more seriously because of the implications for the KMT’s future.
“The municipality elections will create a domino effect and if we do poorly in the elections, it’ll be very difficult for us to boost the party’s momentum in the presidential election,” Wu said.
Throughout the campaign, Hau has been threatened by his Democratic Progressive Party mayoral candidate Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), who is popular among pan-green supporters and has successfully attracted younger voters with fresh campaign strategies.
Over concern about the -Taipei mayoral race, the KMT has stepped up its efforts to campaign for Hau. In addition to holding a large-scale march today to boost Hau’s support, the KMT has also scheduled Ma to stump for Hau every day leading up to the election on Saturday.
Su yesterday shrugged off the KMT chairman’s heavy campaigning for Hau and said voters in Taipei will choose a capable candidate regardless of political affiliations.
“Mayor Hau has the support of the president and I have the support of the Taipei residents,” Su said.
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