Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator-elect Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) yesterday thanked voters in Taichung’s second electoral district after defeating the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate, Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒), in a by-election on Sunday.
Lin was joined in the afternoon by former Taiwan Statebuilding Party legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) as they visited temples and markets in Shalu (沙鹿) and Longjing (龍井) districts.
The by-election was held to fill the legislative seat vacated by Chen after he was in October last year ousted in a recall vote initiated by the KMT and the Yen family.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
Lin said she would keep collaborating with the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and thanked Chen for making the greatest contribution to her victory.
Chen worked as her electoral campaign’s secretary-general, while former Taichung mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) served as chairman of the campaign office.
Lin said she and her team at the local level would work together with Chen and the Taiwan Statebuilding Party in the coming months.
“There could be more cooperation between the DPP and the Taiwan Statebuilding Party,” she said, adding that she needs Chen’s experience and the party’s teamwork to serve her constituents.
“For my legislative work and planning in this electoral district, I intend to confer with Chen and the Taiwan Statebuilding Party chairman for their ideas on how to better improve Taichung... We will see how we can work together,” she said.
“I will also confer with other DPP lawmakers and local executives. We could also hold talks between the DPP and the Taiwan Statebuilding Party,” she added.
Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Chen Yi-chi (陳奕齊) said in a statement that Lin’s win is “a victory by righteous forces against the ‘Yen clan empire’ and restores justice for Chen Po-wei.”
“The result has great symbolic meaning, as Taiwanese society is winning the battle against old politics,” Chen Yi-chi said.
“The KMT colluded with China and local Taichung cliques to oust Chen Po-wei in the recall vote. They have done much damage to Taiwan’s democratic system,” the statement said.
“China’s leadership have realized that it is far easier to conquer Taiwan through elections, rather than using armed forces. China is also adept at political propaganda and disinformation, which it and opposition forces have used through a string of recall votes and this by-election,” Chen Yi-chi said.
“Together the forces of good must be vigilant and fight on, because we know the KMT will not stop creating turmoil for our society and China still has ambitions to annex Taiwan,” Chen Yi-chi said.
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