The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said that its mayoral candidates for Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan would be determined after June, as the decision would affect its choice of candidates for other cities.
Taiwan is to hold local elections on Nov. 26.
Former minister of transportation and communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is key to how the nominations will play out, a party source said on condition of anonymity.
There are calls within the party to have former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) run for Taipei, Lin run for New Taipei City and Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) run for Taoyuan, the source said.
Chen Shih-chung also serves as the head of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Lin has said he is interested in running for Taipei mayor, but has refused to consider running for Taichung or New Taipei City mayor, the source said, adding that Lin is not the party’s first choice, due to his low polling.
Whether the DPP can persuade Lin to sit on his bid for Taipei mayor or offer other positions will determine the DPP’s strategy for Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, the source said.
A decision by Chen Chien-jen to run for Taipei mayor would determine the number of “ace cards” the DPP has up its sleeve, they said.
Most DPP members believe that Chen Chien-jen will not run for Taipei, but President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) did not dismiss the idea out of hand when it was first brought up and only said that it was “bold,” the source said.
Tsai has told DPP members that “Taipei has a lot of talent and you all need to work hard,” the source said, adding that it seems, for now, that the party is not writing off Chen Chien-jen as a possible candidate.
Chen Shihi-chung has the backing of the Tsai clique in the party and is seen as a strong candidate for Taipei, but he can be confirmed as a candidate only after the legislative session ends in May, the source said.
Whether Chen Shih-chung can step down as the head of the CECC in May is also a question, as the COVID-19 pandemic is highly unpredictable, they said.
Other sources said a decision could be made as late as July or August.
However, as Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) most likely candidate for Taipei mayor, is expected to announce his bid in May, and Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) of the People First Party is campaigning for support, the DPP should carefully assess whether it has will have the luxury of announcing a late candidate, the source said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Many Japanese couples are coming to Taiwan to obtain donated sperm or eggs for fertility treatment due to conservatism in their home country, Taiwan’s high standards and low costs, doctors said. One in every six couples in Japan is receiving infertility treatment, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show. About 70,000 children are born in Japan every year through in vitro fertilization (IVF), or about one in every 11 children born. Few people accept donated reproductive cells in Japan due to a lack of clear regulations, leaving treatment in a “gray zone,” Taichung Nuwa Fertility Center medical director Wang Huai-ling (王懷麟)
PROXIMITY: Prague is closer to Dresden than Berlin is, so Taiwanese firms are expected to take advantage of the Czech capital’s location, the Executive Yuan official said Taiwan plans to boost cooperation with the Czech Republic in semiconductor development due to Prague’s pivotal role in the European IC industry, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said. With Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) building a wafer fab in the German city of Dresden, a Germany-Czech Republic-Poland “silicon triangle” is forming, Kung said in a media interview on the weekend after returning from a visit to Prague. “Prague is closer to Dresden than Berlin is, so Taiwanese firms are expected to take advantage of the Czech capital’s location,” he said. “Taiwan and Prague have already launched direct flights and it is
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