The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should nominate its own candidate for Taipei mayor this year instead of renewing its alliance with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday.
Lu, who on Thursday announced that she was considering seeking the party’s nomination herself, said that siding with Ko again could cost the DPP the presidency in 2020.
During a radio interview yesterday, Lu said she was confident that she could win if nominated.
Photo: CNA
She had asked two national policy advisors to inform President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) two months ago of her intention to run, even before DPP Legislator Pasuya Yao (姚文智) announced his candidacy for the party’s nomination on Dec. 17 last year.
“No news [from Tsai] is good news,” Lu said. “I know how many things are on the mind of a chairperson. I am not in a rush. I am waiting for her [response] out of my deepest respect.”
Ko is neither a “white” third-force or a representative of the pan-green camp, she said.
If re-elected, Ko might create a “Yeltsin effect” and stop of the DPP from retaining the presidency in the 2020 election, Lu said.
The Yeltsin effect, named after former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, refers to a confrontation between a president and an immensely popular local leader.
While Ko is popular among young voters, the number of people aged 20 to 30 is about 2.21 million, Lu said, adding that the DPP should not be intimidated by the number of young voters, as there are 18 million voters in total.
If elected mayor, she would prioritize senior care and gender issues, she said.
However, if the DPP decides to nominate another candidate, she would fully support the nominee, Lu said, adding that she would not try to dissuade Yao from pursuing the nomination.
Yao yesterday he respected a possible challenge from Lu and has set up communication channels with her, adding that other potential DPP candidates should announce their intentions.
DPP spokesman Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said the party would use the existing nomination mechanism in deciding on it nominees.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS