Former National Security Council staff Enoch Wu (吳怡農) yesterday said that he would seek the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nomination to contest next year’s Taipei mayoral election.
“After many years of public service and promoting international exchanges, I intend to seek the party’s support to become the strongest force for Taipei,” Wu said in a statement.
“Together, Taipei residents and I can build up the capital’s resilience and achieve a forward-looking vision,” he said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Besides Wu, DPP members have expressed support for legislators Wang Shih-chien (王世堅), Puma Shen (沈伯洋) and Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) to seek the mayoral post, while others recommend Taipei City Councilor Miao Po-ya (苗博雅) of the Social Democratic Party.
Enoch Wu, founder of the Forward Alliance civilian defense organization, registered his intention to seek the DPP nomination at the party’s headquarters in Taipei earler in the day.
The eventual candidate is expected to challenge Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), who is expected to seek a second term.
The DPP Central Executive Standing Committee is to convene next week to discuss and decide on schedules for party primaries, nomination processes and other issues related to mayoral races in major cities.
Enoch Wu lost to Chiang in the legislative elections in 2020 and lost to KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻葳) in a 2023 by-election for a vacant legislative seat in Taipei.
Lawyer Lin Chih-chun (林智群), a prominent figure in the pan-green camp, publicly endorsed Wang Shih-chien as the party’s Taipei mayoral candidate, saying that the legislator is popular and has served six terms as a Taipei city councilor since 1998, serving the constituency covering Datong (大同) and Zhongshan (中山) districts.
Enoch “Wu is not favored by party insiders and he does not spark enthusiasm when he speaks,” Lin said. “Wang Shih-chien, on the other hand, is entertaining and witty, and can quote classic idioms to generate memes on social media.”
“He is well-liked by most people, including the younger generation, so he is a better candidate for the DPP,” Lin said.
Others in the DPP said that Wang Shih-chien is a sensation in Taiwan and China after the song No Future (沒出息) by a Chinese musician went viral on Internet.
The song includes audio of Wang Shih-chien criticizing then-Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
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