The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Electoral Strategy Committee yesterday recommended that the party recruit Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) to run for Taipei mayor and former minister of transportation and communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) to run for New Taipei City mayor in the local elections in November.
The DPP’s Central Executive Committee is expected to convene a meeting on Wednesday to approve both nominees, who are to campaign together at the party’s national congress on Sunday, sources said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who doubles as the DPP’s chairperson, yesterday said that she looked forward to seeing Chen and Lin fighting together to win the elections “with the goal of creating better cities and a better metropolitan area.”
Photo: Taipei Times
She said that Chen, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center, has been leading medical personnel and disease prevention teams to overcome continuous challenges related to COVID-19 in the 903 days since the center was launched.
Being professional and communicative, he is capable of formulating and implementing policies, Tsai said, adding that the country’s capital needs his leadership to “show Taiwan’s power of kindness to the world through the future Taipei.”
Tsai said she and all the members of the strategy committee approve of Lin’s ability to lead the most populous city in Taiwan.
To lead New Taipei City requires a greater vision and determination, as the city is critical to the future development of Taiwan, “so Lin is the DPP’s strongest and most suitable candidate,” she said.
Chen yesterday issued a statement to thank Tsai and the committee for their trust, adding that he would do his best to take on the mission the party has given him.
Chen said Taipei is his home and he has deep feelings toward the city, as he “was born and raised here and lives here.”
He asked everyone to join him in the fight for Taipei’s future to “lead Taipei forward” and “make Taiwan and Taipei better.”
Lin yesterday thanked Tsai and DPP members for their support.
As a former minister and a former Taichung mayor, he said he would draw on his experience to govern the vast area with its huge population to “crank up the developing engine of northern Taiwan,” enabling New Taipei City to bring prosperity and growth to the region.
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
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a man plowed his car into pedestrians exercising around a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday night. Footage showing bodies lying on the pavement appeared on social media in the hours after the crash, but had vanished by early Tuesday morning, and local police reported only “injuries.” It took officials nearly 24 hours to reveal that dozens had died — in one of the country’s deadliest incidents in years. China heavily monitors social media platforms, where it is common for words and topics deemed
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to