DPP Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Frank Hsieh (
At a rally for TSU city council candidates last night in Kaohsiung, former president Lee Teng-hui (
Lee said that construction projects have sprouted in the city since Hsieh took over as mayor.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"The city now competes with Taipei because Hsieh's leadership has resulted in the launch of a rapid transit system, the cleanup of Love River and an improvement in the quality of tap water," Lee said, implying that former mayor Wu Den-yi (
At the rally, national policy adviser Alice King (
Earlier at the rally, Hsieh expressed his gratitude for the help TSU supporters have given him.
At another rally yesterday, held for Hsieh and DPP city councilor candidates carrying the theme "Kaohsiung people, stand up," first lady Wu Shu-chen (
"Things like this have almost made the election meaningless," Wu said.
Hsieh said at the rally that his trip to Taipei yesterday afternoon had clarified controversial issues relating to the check.
But the check remained a hot issue in Kaohsiung. When asked whether Huang would also take time out of his campaign to respond to allegations, Huang's spokesman Lin Yi-shih (
"It's Hsieh's own business to prove his innocence. How could he request others to give up the election campaign?" Lin said.
Huang was supported yesterday by the pan-blue camp, which carried out a march downtown to promote his campaign.
Huang, who was dressed in military garb to show his combat effectiveness, admitted that Hsieh would benefit by receiving support from President Chen Shui-bian (
"However, this is a mayoral election rather than a warm-up exercise for the 2004 presidential election," Huang said, "What I have is my resolution to serve residents," he said.
Both Huang and Hsieh yesterday did their best to win support from labor and public servants.
Huang held a rally to appeal to labor groups, saying that he knew their hardship because he is the son of a blacksmith.
Meanwhile, former National Police Administration director-general Yao Kao-chiao (
"Hsieh's consideration for both police and firemen demonstrates his vision to improve public security," Yao said.
Yao said he did not fear possible punishment from the KMT for his support of Hsieh.
Yao said he met with Hsieh more than 10 times recently to discuss strategies to improve public security in Kaohsiung.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about