Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介), a nominee for next year's Tainan mayoral election, was presented with a "prop handgun" that he proceeded to brandish during a campaign event on yesterday.
Hsieh, who was selected as the party's mayoral pick on Wednesday, was speaking at a year-end event for KMT military veterans when KMT Vice Chairman Chi Lin-lien (季麟連) pulled out the gun, to the apparent shock of others on stage.
Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times
Chi, a retired general in the Republic of China Marine Corps, told Hsieh that the handgun was "the latest model" from a marine corps manufacturing facility, and presented it to him with wishes for a "resounding victory" with "full firepower."
Chi added that he had wanted to bring a rifle, but that it would have been "inconvenient" to take on the high-speed rail.
A KMT official later assured reporters that the handgun was a "toy" and intended for use as a "prop."
During his speech, Hsieh waved the gun as he pledged to crack down on "black gold" (political corruption and underworld politics) and "official-business collusion," and to strengthen public security.
He said that after years of Tainan being run by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), many people wanted change, which he pledged to deliver within one four-year term, United Daily News reported.
Hsieh previously ran for Tainan mayor in 2022, gaining 43.63 percent of the vote in a loss to DPP incumbent Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲), who received 48.8 percent.
He was then elected to the legislature last year on the KMT party list.
With Huang set to leave office after two terms, the DPP has yet to name its nominee for next year.
Taiwan's next local elections are scheduled to take place on Nov. 28 next year.
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