The “Han wave,” or the wave of support for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) is being hyped by certain media outlets and Internet platforms, and should eventually pass, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) said yesterday.
Support for Han’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rival, Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), has been rising, said Chen Chu, who served as Kaohsiung mayor for 12 years before resigning in April to join President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration.
What voters want is a candidate with knowledge about running a city and their plans for the future, she said as she campaigned for Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and DPP city councilor candidates in Taichung’s Shengang District (神岡), the city’s fifth electoral district.
Photo: Chiang Chih-hsiung, Taipei Times
Kaohsiung’s residents are likely to approve of a candidate who understands Kaohsiung the way Chen Chi-mai does, she said.
Kaohsiung has long been the most important base in the nation for Taiwan’s democracy movement and she has faith in it, she said
As for Lin, who is seeking re-election, Chen Chu said she hoped that Taichung residents would recognize his hard work, professionalism and achievements as mayor.
Asked by reporters whether the decision by Lin’s main rival, KMT Legislator Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), on Tuesday to resign her legislative seat would affect the race, Chen Chu said resignations have been used before as a campaign tactic.
While she respects Lu’s decision, it would have a limited effect on the election, she added.
Lin said he appreciated Chen Chu’s support and endorsement as she gives people a sense of warmth and reliability.
Taichung is improving, and many of the changes that are being made in the city can already be seen, he said.
There has been a lot of negative campaigning in this year’s elections, including personal attacks on Chen Chu and smear campaigns, he said.
He sympathizes with those who have been the target of negative campaigns, and looks forward to society having more positive energy, he added.
Lu, who said her resignation was a way to demonstrate her determination to win, was the fourth lawmaker to resign to focus on the elections, following the DPP’s Pasuya Yau (姚文智), who is running for Taipei mayor; Chang Li-shan (張麗善), the KMT’s candidate for Yunlin County commissioner, and Chen Chi-mai.
Calling the Taichung election a must-win race, Lu said she has promised to free the city from air pollution, low wages and economic stagnation if elected.
“It is a very big responsibility. I must win,” she said.
Although the posts from which Chang and Chen Chi-mai resigned were legislator-at-large seats, which can be filled by their respective parties, the seats vacated by Yao and Lu must be filled through by-elections, as there is more than a year before their terms are due to expire on Jan. 31, 2020.
According to the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), legislative by-elections must be held within three months of a lawmaker resigning.
Chen Chu also visited Yilan County yesterday to stump for the DPP’s candidates for commissioner and county council.
Additional reporting by CNA
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Chiayi County at 4:37pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 36.3km southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 10.4km, CWA data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Chiayi County, Tainan and Kaohsiung on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Pingtung, Taitung, Hualien, Changhua, Nantou and Penghu counties, the data
RSS