The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucuses yesterday accused the New Taipei City mayoral candidates of each copying their rival’s campaign platforms.
In July, DPP New Taipei City mayoral candidate Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) unveiled his platform, which included policies to push urban regeneration, childcare, elderly care, smart city development and urban beautification, as well as to help the municipality’s administrative districts carve out a niche for themselves, DPP Legislator Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan.
New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), who is the KMT’s candidate for the city, copied those policies, and last month introduced his platform, which promises to “implement government-led urban renewal, double the number of public daycare centers, develop predominant business activities for each district, and build technology and security in the city,” Ho said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Su recently said that he would “provide a stage for 10 million Taiwanese to shine,” DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said, adding that Hou then said that he would “give young people a stage by transforming New Taipei City into a nexus toward which 10 million people could gravitate.”
Hou’s campaign team even copied Su, who reminded subscribers to a social media account of his to check the winning numbers for the bimonthly uniform invoice lottery, he said.
Hou’s camp might as well pay Su for planning his campaign, as Hou’s team “simply copies everything from him,” Wang said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
KMT legislators William Tseng (曾銘宗) and Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) later held a news conference, where they rejected the allegations.
Aside from urban beautification, Hou unveiled his platform in March, which was before Su was nominated by the DPP, Ko said.
When visiting a tea farm on Aug. 7, Hou proposed a policy encouraging young “farmers” to return to their hometowns, she said.
Su a week later also visited a tea farm and said he would encourage young “people” to return to their hometowns, she said.
After Hou on Aug. 9 unveiled a policy of “exploring local business opportunities,” Su on Aug. 15 proposed the same policy at a cafe, she said.
Su even copied the slogan used by outgoing New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) in 2014 when he was running for re-election: “The Doer,” she said.
“Su’s camp should be thankful that [Hou] is not charging royalties,” Ko said.
The KMT welcomes the continuation of any policy that would benefit New Taipei City residents, but opposes unfounded accusations, Tseng said.
Voters should decide for themselves who the real “copycat” is, he added.
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