There was a flurry of campaign activities by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday, from canvassing to overnight rallies, amid a last-minute dash to garner votes across Taiwan ahead of today’s nine-in-one local elections.
The KMT is confident it has secured a decisive margin in the top-ticket races in 15 counties and cities, but is deadlocked in three and falling behind in four, KMT Organizational Development Committee chairwoman Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) said.
Taipei, New Taipei City, Hsinchu County and Taichung are among the races it considers safe, Hsu said.
Photo: CNA
The mayoral elections in Keelung and Hsinchu City, and the commissioner race in Miaoli County are locked in a dead heat, while the KMT is trailing in Pingtung and Chiayi counties, as well as in Kaohsiung and Tainan, which are traditional strongholds of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), she said.
Separately, a Central News Agency (CNA) analysis pegged Taipei and Taoyuan as races that remain in play.
Taipei historically leans toward the KMT, but the candidacy of former Taipei deputy mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) — an independent candidate for Taipei mayor backed by the Taiwan People’s Party — might split the pan-blue vote.
Photo: CNA
The race for the seat being vacated by Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) of the DPP has led to a four-way battle between DPP Legislator Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬), former premier Simon Chang (張善政) of the KMT, former legislator and DPP founding member Cheng Pao-ching (鄭寶清) and TPP Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶).
The KMT’s campaign rallies in the six special municipalities were broadcast on TVBS News last night.
A rally for Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), the KMT’s candidate for Taipei mayor, at Taiwan Cement Corp’s Taipei plant was the biggest of the rallies, KMT Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) told a news conference in Taipei, adding that the party expected record-breaking attendance.
Chiang earlier toured Taipei’s 12th district in a campaign truck as part of final canvassing while playing up his moderate image.
If he were elected, Chiang said that he would continue the policies of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and incorporate good proposals from opponents.
He said that his aim was to be “an executively competent and inclusive mayor.”
He said that the DPP’s “arrogant” and “dishonest” handling of the COVID-19 vaccine policy was a betrayal of public trust, taking a shot at the DPP’s candidate, Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who was minister of health and welfare for much of the local outbreak.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) was on the road with Chang in Taoyuan and in Keelung with Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) — the party’s mayoral candidate there.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), who is seeking re-election, held a campaign rally at Banciao Stadium, with organizers saying that attendance reached 20,000 people at 6:30pm.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) stumped for KMT candidates in Keelung, Taoyuan, Miaoli County and Hsinchu County, and was expected to return to Keelung in the evening.
Speaking on the sidelines at Chang’s campaign event, Ma told reporters that the KMT is doing well in Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung, while Chang’s electoral position in Taoyuan has improved significantly over the past few weeks.
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