President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who doubles as the chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), yesterday made final appeals on behalf of his parties’ candidates on the eve of today’s elections.
Ma spent his day making his way from the country’s south to the north, ending up in Taipei.
At stake are mayorships or county commissioner positions in all 22 of the nation’s cities and counties.
Photo: CNA
The KMT currently controls 15 of those administrative districts, while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds six and one is led by an independent.
However, dissatisfaction with the Ma administration has put two places especially at risk — the capital, Taipei, which has been in KMT hands since late 1998, and the central city of Taichung, which KMT incumbent Jason Hu (胡志強) has led since late 2001.
Ma started his final day of campaigning in Pingtung County at a rally for the KMT’s county commissioner candidate, Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎).
Ma then traveled to Kaohsiung and Tainan to accompany mayoral candidates Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) and Huang Hsiu-shuang (黃秀霜) in canvassing for votes.
It was the fourth time in a week that Ma visited Tainan to solicit support for Huang in a city that has been in DPP hands since late 1993 and is considered rock-solid green, the color associated with the DPP.
Ma then traveled straight to Keelung to campaign for KMT candidate Hsieh Li-kung (謝立功), before heading to Taoyuan to lend support to incumbent Taoyuan County Commissioner John Wu (吳志揚).
Ma wrapped up the evening by attending campaign rallies in Taichung, New Taipei City and Taipei, urging voters to back the KMT and its support for liberalizing the nation, rather than a party that leans toward closing the nation’s doors — apparently referring to the DPP.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS