Numerous Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have said they favor Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) as the party’s candidate for the Kaohsiung mayoral by-election, after Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was recalled in a vote on Saturday.
DPP legislators Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) and Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) said that based on his popularity in Kaohsiung and strong grassroots support, Chen, a Kaohsiung native with a solid administrative background, would be an ideal candidate to represent the party in the election.
Kuan and Hsu said that the party should name Chen as the party’s candidate without holding a primary to show party unity.
Han was ousted through a recall election in which 939,090 Kaohsiung residents voted for his removal, well exceeding the required 574,996, a legal threshold representing 25 percent of Kaohsiung’s eligible voters, with a turnout of 42.14 percent.
Under the Civil Servant Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), the Central Election Commission must hold a by-election by Sept. 12 at the latest.
Chen, who served as a three-term legislator from the southern city before 2004, was a two-term legislator-at-large before the mayoral election in November 2018, when he lost in a shocking defeat to Han, in a city the DPP had run for two decades.
After his mayoral defeat, Chen was appointed vice premier in January last year.
In response to Han’s recall, Chen said that politicians must retain the trust of the electorate or the voters would take back the power they give them.
He did not say whether he plans to represent the party in the by-election.
Chen said that the recall demonstrated the value of democracy, as voters made an important decision for themselves.
DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) said that he supports Chen’s candidacy, adding that as the head of the DPP’s Kaohsiung branch, he would mobilize everyone to campaign for the vice premier in the upcoming by-election.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that the party should avoid provoking Han supporters after the recall vote, otherwise the KMT could boycott DPP-proposed legislation and undermine cross-party cooperation.
New Power Party (NPP) Chairman Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) said that his party would support a non-KMT candidate in the election, and if Chen represents the DPP he would likely win the NPP’s support.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who is also Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman, yesterday said that his party does not have any plan to nominate a candidate for the by-election.
“It is the first time in Taiwan’s political history that a city mayor has been recalled, and facing such a peculiar event, people should calm down to think about its impact on Taiwanese society,” he said.
Ko said that he respects the decision to hold a recall, as it reflects Taiwan’s mature democratic process, he said.
The TPP might have a chance of winning if it runs a candidate for Kaohsiung city councilor, but it has little chance of winning in the city’s mayoral by-election, he said.
Sources from the KMT said they were pessimistic about the by-election after Han’s ouster, adding that the party has not yet decided on a candidate for the vote.
Additional reporting by Lee I-chia
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS