Thu, Oct 01, 2026 page2

• Puma Shen plans to bring campaign to each district

  • By Chen Cheng-yu, He Yu-hua and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer
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  Democratic Progressive Party Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈柏洋) yesterday unveiled an ambitious campaign plan, as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) doubled down on his drive for a “smoke-free city.”

  Speaking at a news conference at his headquarters, Shen said his plan for the next few months is to stump in Taipei’s six electoral districts, roll out a platform for voters to air their opinions on the issues, and announce policies and timetables for every district.

  The rallies, dubbed “‘ocean current’ street-sweeping” (洋流大車掃), would feature a drive-through and an evening stump in each electoral district to draw direct voter-candidate discussions on policies, he said.

  

  President William Lai, left, and DPP Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen pose for a photo at Shen’s election campaign headquarters in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times

  Shen wants to address concerns raised by Taipei residents during these events with substantive answers on the spot, he said.

  The campaign has rallies scheduled in Datong-Zhongshan (大同中山) on Oct. 11, Songshan-Xinyi (松山信義) on Oct. 18, Neihu-Nangang (湖南港) on Oct. 25, and Zhongzheng-Wanhua (中正萬華) on Oct. 31, he said.

  Rallies would be held in Daan-Wenshan (大安文山) on Nov. 1, and Beitou-Shilin (北投士林) on Nov. 17, Shen said.

  The campaign is using the Line app to enable supporters to take part in the street-sweeping drive, follow its progress and use their phone cameras to access additional content on campaign posters using an augmented reality function, he said.

  At campaign events, voters can scan a QR code to submit questions for Shen that would be displayed on a big screen, or talk with him on stage, he said.

  The campaign would announce its agenda for each electoral district in the first 100 days, first year and four years if he is elected, Shen said.

  Meanwhile, Chiang pressed forward with his campaign to regulate open-air tobacco use by unveiling two positive-air-pressure booths for smokers in the city’s Xinyi District.

  Speaking at an event for the dedicated smoking areas, Chiang said groups donated NT$5.6 million (US$175,813) to open five more booths in Taipei as a trial.

  The Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act’s (菸害防制法) ban on indoor smoking had created legal complications with using positive air pressure as smoking areas, which the city resolved by working with central government regulators, he said.

  The Taipei Department of Health said that people who light up outside a booth in an area equipped with such facilities would be fined NT$2,000 to NT$10,000.

  People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) on Tuesday last week said on the sidelines of a campaign rally for the party’s Taichung mayoral candidate that he would bet money on the failure of Chiang’s anti-tobacco campaign.

  “Candidates should not make impossible promises to voters, but instead focus on making tangible improvements to their quality of life,” he said.

  “We should bravely do the right thing and insist on doing the right thing,” Chiang said in response.
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