Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, is to give speeches in 18 cities and counties during a four-day round-the-nation tour beginning yesterday, his campaign office announced on Wednesday.
At a news conference, Lai’s campaign manager Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said the DPP candidate’s whistle-stop tour was part of a three-pronged final election blitz, dubbed: “The Trilogy for Triumph.”
Pan said Lai would start the four-day tour from yesterday to Sunday with an 8:05am appearance at the Yu Ting Tzu Tien Temple in Yilan County. Starting at Jiaosi Township (礁溪) in Yilan County yesterday, Lai promised to expedite transportation construction in the east, including expansion of the high-speed rail to Yilan.
Photo courtesy of the William Lai campaign office
The Railway Bureau began planning for a high-speed rail extension to the county in 2019.
The plan has passed the first round of an environmental impact assessment and is undergoing the second and more vigorous assessment.
Lai also promised to speed up plans to upgrade the highway and railway networks in the northeast and east as he traveled to Hualien and Taitung counties.
Photo: CNA
They include those seeking to expand Provincial Highway 62 from New Taipei City to Yilan — a plan that has yet to be finalized by authorities — as well as those aiming to improve Suhua Highway and its linkage with Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway (Freeway No. 5).
The DPP nominee is then to travel clockwise around Taiwan, giving speeches at 18 locations across four days, the last of which is to take place at Taipei Municipal Jinhua Junior High School at 3:25pm on Sunday.
For the second phase of campaigning, the DPP is to hold large rallies across the country as well as asking party officials and elected officeholders to regularly canvass on street corners from Jan. 3, Pan added.
The party is to hold campaign rallies in New Taipei City on Jan. 3, in Taipei on Jan. 11 and in Tainan and New Taipei City on the eve of the election on Jan. 12, Pan said.
Finally, Lai and running mate Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), a former representative to the US, are to take part in a series of motorcade parades nationwide from Jan. 8 to 12, Pan said.
Lai would share his vision and development plans tailored to each county and city, Pan said.
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