Internal electoral evaluation reports by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) showed confidence that the party could win at least nine counties and cities in the Nov. 29 elections, party sources said, adding that the party also proclaimed its ambition to snatch at least three special municipalities in the November elections.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Hung Yao-fu (洪耀福) said the party has not yet set goals for the elections in terms of specific number of cities and counties it aims to win, but added that it will do its best and make equal efforts in every county and city, since it does not want to lose any of them.
Despite the high expectations, the party still sees danger in Miaoli County, Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City, where the DPP is not favored in popularity polls, DPP spokesman Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said, adding that the party would put more effort into winning voters’ hearts.
The DPP’s support of independent Taipei mayoral candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has put Ko’s popularity far in front of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien (連勝文), Lin said, adding that Taipei might be a possible victory for the DPP.
Party sources said that the DPP has named Changhua, Nantou and Taitung counties, among others, as areas where it is on level terms with the KMT in popularity, adding that although the DPP has a marginal lead in Chiayi City, the vote there would be fiercely contested.
DPP propaganda department director Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) said the anticipation of a tough battle in Chiayi was due to the fact that it is governed by Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) of the KMT, and that the KMT candidate for the position, Chen Yi-chen (陳以真), has a positive image.
Cheng added that gathering from the KMT’s recent TV advertisements lambasting the DPP’s stance on the free economic pilot zones, it appears the KMT intends to escalate the campaign into a party-versus-party confrontation to hide the fact that people are disappointed with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) governance.
“We are aware that the KMT is worried and we will respond appropriately,” Lin said.
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