The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday officially launched its campaign for the year-end special municipality elections with DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) outlining the party's platform to hundreds of supporters in Taipei City, vowing to fight an election battle based on governing experience.
All five of the party's candidates for the November elections stood together for the first time in a public appearance at the DPP's headquarters to thundering cries from fervent party supporters chanting, “Go, Taiwan! Go, DPP!”
Tsai said that since Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was elected president in 2008, the economy had languished, with stagnating personal incomes and the widening income gap impacting on government finances.
PHOTO: CNA
The Ma administration has failed to stand up for Taiwan's sovereignty, she added.
“The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government has wasted Taiwan's success and wasted Taiwan’s resources. It's up to us to make this government a thing of the past,” Tsai said.
Minutes before the DPP kicked off its election platform, the party's Central Executive Committee officially confirmed the party's nomination list, one week later than expected. Two last-minute decisions — a bid by Tsai in Sinbei City and DPP Secretary-General Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) in Greater Taichung — were only announced on Sunday.
Former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), who is running on the DPP ticket in Taipei City, said the party's five candidates represented their best hope of fulfilling voter expectations.
“We are not giving up in any city ... Any responsible political party must nominate the candidates best able to answer the public’s hopes and willing to work on their behalf… the DPP has done that,” he said.
The 62-year-old, former Taipei county commissioner, said the November elections would show the rest of Taiwan that the DPP was once again back on its feet.
He pledged to defeat his KMT opponent, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), based on a election platform of “giving Taipei City a new future.”
“The pace of progress in Taipei has fallen behind in the last 12 years. The public wants change,” he said.
He also promised to work toward increasing the efficiency of city hall and Taipei's competitiveness.
Su Jia-chyuan played up his law-and-order and agricultural background, saying he was prepared to run a winning campaign in the long-time KMT stronghold.
He rejected accusations that the DPP had given up on the nation’s third most populous city and pumping his fist into the air, proclaimed “not only are we not giving up, we will win Greater Taichung.”
Su Jia-chyuan, 53, and a former Pingtung County Commissioner before going on to be council of agriculture minister and then minister of the interior under the former DPP administration, also promised to address social issues and promote balanced development in both the city and county.
Greater Tainan candidate William Lai (賴清德), currently a DPP lawmaker, said he would ensure the DPP continued its governance in the area generally considered a DPP lock, pledging to not only win in his own election, but also campaign to increase the number of DPP city councilors elected.
Party unity would also be a key factor in the race, added 50-year- old Lai, a Harvard graduate and former medical doctor.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), who is running in the Greater Kaohsiung race, thanked supporters for continuing to stand behind the DPP.
The 59-year-old former Council of Labor minister and human rights activist said she had confidence in Taiwan, and that “Taiwanese have the ability to measure up to international [challenges].”
Tsai said that for her own run in Sinbei City, she would work to give residents “hope for the future,” and refrain from empty election slogans.
“Through quality governance, I will help them get back their pride as Sinbei City residents,” she said.
The 53-year-old Tsai, who has a background in law and used to be vice premier, has said that Sinbei City would be an ideal place to carry out the DPP's “10-year political master plan,” which includes policies dealing with the environment, social issues and the economy.
Calling the Nov. 27 elections “the most important in the history of the DPP,” Tsai said her party would aim for a perfect five out of five showing.
In response to the DPP’s pledge to win November's elections and “lay siege to the central government” by grabbing the reins of power at local government level, KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) said the DPP's thinking was “outdated,” perpetuating the idea of confrontations with the central government.
“Taiwanese care about the competitiveness of their cities and the future of Taiwan. The DPP should cooperate with the KMT and look to the central government to help promote the prosperity of the local governments,” he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH
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