While recognizing that Taitung County needs to expand its tourism industry, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪), the party’s Taitung County commissioner candidate, said he believes the county must do more than look to a glorious picture of the future and pay attention to its roots.
Liu’s bid for county commissioner in next month’s election is his fifth time running for a government office since entering politics, with two successful elections as a legislator representing the county and three failed bids for county commissioner.
“My running for office every time lends momentum to the county’s development,” Liu said in a recent interview with the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper).
Pointing to Taitung’s hot-air balloon festival, Liu said he could successfully continue the event and make it better, adding that he also recognized that the revitalization of key industries in the county was important.
The electrification of the Huadong Railway was an important achievement, and one completed under county commissioners from both parties, Liu said, adding that the result should not be claimed by any single party.
However, Liu said that old buildings in the county are being torn down to make way for large hotels, and that the demolition is removing history and reminders of people’s past.
“The fundamental issue is with the direction the county government is taking, focusing too much on development and not enough on preservation that conserves characteristics identifying Taitung County as a unique entity,” Liu said.
Bringing in industry might increase jobs, but would simply turn young people in the county into hired personnel, Liu said.
“If I am elected to office, I will prepare a total of NT$100 million [US$3.2 million] in loans for young people to create their own businesses,” Liu said, adding that such a measure would increase the value of microbusinesses in the county.
Liu also said that the maritime industry holds high development potential, but has been largely ignored by incumbent Taitung County Commissioner Justin Huang (黃健庭) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), adding that the county’s agriculture industry has also been left to its own devices.
“The county should take a more farmer-friendly approach in terms of agriculture,” Liu said.
Despite weak support for the DPP in the region, Liu said he believes he will be elected on Nov. 29 and would be at the helm of the county’s services to its residents.
The county, considered a pan-blue voting house a decade ago, has only recently seen a surge of support for the DPP due to negligence of infrastructure, Liu said, adding, however, that even if he were elected into office, the county council would be a KMT majority.
It would not be an issue for implementing county policy, Liu said, adding that he was confident he, once elected, could negotiate successfully with the KMT faction in the county council.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by