Green Party-Social Democratic Party Alliance legislative candidate Lee Yen-jong (李晏榕) yesterday inaugurated her campaign headquarters, with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politicians figuring prominently at the event, even as the party’s official endorsement in the race for Taipei’s third district remains undetermined.
A number of DPP councilors and legislators were in attendance, with speeches given by DPP Taipei City Councilor Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜), DPP legislator at-large candidate Wellington Koo (顧立雄) and former DPP party spokeswoman Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青). DPP Taipei Chapter chairman Huang Cheng-kuo (黃承國) sent flowers wishing Lee “success.”
“We hope to win the support of the majority of people and it would be ideal if we could win the DPP’s endorsement,” Lee said, adding that failing to win the endorsement would require an “adjustment” in campaign strategy.
The DPP had told her it was still holding internal discussions on whom to endorse, she said.
Other candidates in the race include Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) and independent candidate Billy Pan (潘建志).
Pan, who was a spokesman for Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) during his electoral campaign, joined the DPP in a bid to win the party’s backing, but has so far failed to secure its endorsement.
The DPP chose not to nominate a candidate after DPP Taipei city councilor Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) withdrew from the legislative race following criticism from Pan and former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) for running immediately after winning re-election in November last year.
“There’s been a lot of backlash against Pan because he wounded the party,” DPP city councilor Hung Chien-yi (洪健益) said, adding that Pan’s criticism of Liang had caused “substantial damage” and he had also refused to “integrate” with the former candidate.
“Party headquarters plans to conduct a poll and openly support whoever has the highest numbers,” he said, adding that Lee had rejected a party offer to help integrate herself and Pan.
Under integration polling, competing candidates agree to compare support based on a negotiated set of surveys, with lower polling candidates withdrawing from the race.
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