Public Television Service (PTS) on Friday announced that all five Taipei mayoral candidates would participate in a televised debate.
PTS yesterday said that Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), an independent seeking re-election, on Thursday signed an agreement form to attend the debate.
Representatives of the registered candidates on Tuesday are to discuss details of the debate, PTS said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The principles of fairness, openness and neutrality would be upheld, PTS said, adding that it has hosted four presidential and 10 mayoral debates.
Over the past few weeks, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) and Democratic Progressive Party candidate Pasuya Yao (姚文智) have repeatedly urged Ko to attend debates.
At a forum in Taipei last week, Ting, Yao and independent candidates Lee Si-kuen and Wu E-yang (吳萼洋) said Ko was avoiding public debates.
Ko yesterday reiterated that he never said he would not attend debates, just not before Nov. 8, when he is to take leave from his mayoral duties.
There are many commercial television stations, so it would be strange to attend a debate held by one while refusing others, Ko said.
There would be less controversy if he attended one held by PTS, which is a non-commercial station, he said.
Ting said that debates could have been held earlier if it were not for Ko’s stalling tactics.
He only agreed to attend one after “being condemned by a thousand accusing fingers pointing at him,” Ting said.
Ting said he would focus on issues of a declining city with no concrete developments and city residents working hard, but receiving low salaries.
Yao said it has been a long wait for the debate and it should have been held earlier so that Ko’s administrative performance could be evaluated.
It would be best to hold the debate on Nov. 10 or Nov. 11, or on both days, he said, adding that as soon as possible would be fine if Ko is willing to attend.
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