Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) held his first campaign motorcade in the capital yesterday, while incumbent Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) urged Shen’s camp to discuss arrangements for a televised election debate or debates.
Shen’s motorcade event started in Datong District (大同) yesterday afternoon and drew thousands of supporters, some of whom followed the procession on scooters, carrying campaign banners.
In Taiwan, campaign motorcades are a common feature of local elections, allowing candidates to greet voters along neighborhood streets while serving as a public show of support for them.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Accompanied by his supporters, Shen arrived at Dalongdong Baoan Temple, a local Taoist temple and religious center, where he was greeted by crowds of wellwishers.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the motorcade, Shen reiterated his call for four debates, saying a single event would not allow enough time for detailed discussions of individual policy issues. He also said his campaign would send staff to Monday’s coordination meeting.
Earlier yesterday, Chiang was asked about Shen’s proposal to hold four debates during an event in Taipei.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The DPP candidate had made the proposal to Chiang in person when the two met at a temple event on Saturday evening.
Chiang said the focus should be on actually holding debates, rather than turning them into a campaign talking point, adding that calling for more debates did not necessarily mean winning an election.
He said both camps have agreed in principle to broadcaster TVBS holding a televised debate or debates and signed consent forms, with the broadcaster scheduled to meet representatives of both sides today to discuss the details.
Chiang said his campaign team would attend and urged Shen’s representatives to do the same.
The local elections will be held on Nov. 28.
The elections are also known as the “9-in-1” elections because voters in Taiwan’s 22 cities and counties will cast ballots for candidates vying for nine different local government posts, including city mayors, county magistrates, and city and county councilors.
Also up for grabs are seats for township chiefs and chiefs of Indigenous districts in municipalities, township councilors and Indigenous councilors in municipalities, and ward chiefs. In total, elections will be held for 11,051 officials at all levels of local government.
‘FRIENDSHIP FLEET’: A CGA official is scheduled to meet with the president of the Pacific nation, while one of the ships is to host a banquet and National Day event Two Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol vessels have docked at Malakal Harbor in Palau as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr, the agency said yesterday. The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu, set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived on Tuesday at Malakal Harbor, the CGA’s Fleet Branch said in a statement. The journey marks the second time the CGA has dispatched a “friendship fleet” to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien and
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) today said that two of its patrol vessels have docked at Palau's Malakal Harbor as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with the Palauan president. The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi (嘉義) and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu (澎湖), set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived at Malakal Harbor yesterday, the CGA's Fleet Branch said in a statement. The journey marked the second time the CGA has dispatched a "Friendship Fleet" to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien (花蓮)
Had I Not Seen the Sun (如果我不曾見過太陽), a coming-of-age mystery romance, yesterday won best series at the Seoul International Drama Awards in South Korea. The show's producer, Phoebe Ma (麻怡婷), accepted the award on behalf of the production team. "Telling this story was difficult," Ma said. "There were moments when I doubted my strength to keep going, but I never doubted the story itself." Ma went on to thank the cast and crew of the show for making the win possible. Released in two parts on Netflix at the end of last year, the 20-episode drama starred Tseng Jing-hua (曾敬驊) and Alice Ko (柯佳嬿). The
DETAILED PLAN NEEDED: Relocating the airport would affect not just travelers, but also undermine national defense and emergency medical services, a legislator said Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday proposed relocating Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and turning the site into an artificial intelligence (AI) park, drawing opposition from politicians across party lines. Chiang’s plan would turn the 300 hectares into an AI park featuring tech clusters, residential communities and green space. The industrial cluster would host 200 domestic enterprises, generate NT$12 trillion (US$376.47 billion) in output, and accommodate 65,000 jobs and 35,000 residents, he said. Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said the Executive Yuan was surprised by the announcement, as the Taipei City Government did not discuss the proposal with the central government before making
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