The three candidates in the Kaohsiung mayoral by-election yesterday canvassed for support ahead of today’s vote.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held a rally near MRT West Fongshan Station to boost its candidate, former vice premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), with speakers including President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).
The election is more than a contest to win the city, but is “a war of glory,” Lai said, calling on young Kaohsiung natives living elsewhere to help Chen achieve victory with “more votes than the 890,000 that former Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) won in 2018.”
Photo: Ko Yu-hao, Taipei Times
Han was removed from the post in a recall vote on June 6.
More than 100,000 people attended the rally, DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) said at 7pm.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) made its final appeal to voters at an event next to the Kaohsiung Dream Mall, with its candidate, Kaohsiung City Councilor Jane Lee (李眉蓁), sharing the stage with former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), former KMT chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) and Han sharing the stage.
Photo: Wang Jung-hsiang, Taipei Times
“Chen was rejected by Kaohsiung voters [in 2018] and now he has come back, as if telling residents that they owe him the mayoralty and an apology,” Ma said.
After “elevating” Chen to vice premier after he lost to Han, the DPP, as it has always done, ignored political neutrality before pulling Han down, Ma said.
Before Han spoke at 9pm, Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Ruo-tsui (陳若翠) said that more than 100,000 people were in attendance.
Photo: Hsu Li-juan, Taipei Times
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) campaign vehicles on six routes throughout Kaohsiung canvassed voters for its candidate, Kaohsiung City Councilor Wu Yi-jheng (吳益政), with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), the party’s chairman, and TPP Secretary-General Hsieh Li-kung (謝立功) riding along.
Wu’s daughter Wu Lo-ying (吳洛瑩) said that she admired her father’s perseverance.
“My dad is a middle-aged man chasing his dream,” she said.
“It is important for people to hold on to their ideals,” she said, adding that her father has never viewed politics as a “job,” but a “passion.”
Although political observers are not optimistic about her father’s chances, she said that voters would give all of the candidates an equal chance, and would see the diligence and commitment that he has showed in more than 20 years in politics.
Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission said that people should wear a mask and maintain proper social distances while voting today.
No lobbying activities — including on social media and messaging apps — are allowed by law, with people who post remarks, pictures, videos, symbols, or poll results showing favor toward any candidate being subject to a minimum fine of NT$500,000, the commission said.
Garments or accessories bearing logos of any political party, group or candidate also constitute campaign activity, and are prohibited, too, with violators also risking a fine of at least NT$500,000, it added.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
GEOPOLITICAL CONCERNS: Foreign companies such as Nissan, Volkswagen and Konica Minolta have pulled back their operations in China this year Foreign companies pulled more money from China last quarter, a sign that some investors are still pessimistic even as Beijing rolls out stimulus measures aimed at stabilizing growth. China’s direct investment liabilities in its balance of payments dropped US$8.1 billion in the third quarter, data released by the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange showed on Friday. The gauge, which measures foreign direct investment (FDI) in China, was down almost US$13 billion for the first nine months of the year. Foreign investment into China has slumped in the past three years after hitting a record in 2021, a casualty of geopolitical tensions,
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