In the News

Kaohsiung mayor wins DPP pre-selection race

• Publication Date：05/06/2010
• Source： Liberty Times

Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu beat back a strong challenge from Kaohsiung County Magistrate Yang Chiu-hsing May 5 to win pre-selection as a Democratic Progressive Party candidate in the year-end special municipality mayoral elections.

The official result of the intraparty poll in the greater Kaohsiung area was announced as 59 percent for Chen and 41 percent for Yang.

DPP Secretary-General Su Jia-chyuan praised the candidates for their efforts in the hard-fought contest. “This process brought out the best in both hopefuls and was of great benefit to the party,” he said.

Su, who doubles as convener of the party’s nomination team, said he would formally recommend Chen to the DPP Central Executive Committee based on the outcome of the poll.

Chen thanked voters for their support and said she would seek advice from Yang in her campaign to become mayor of the Kaohsiung special municipality. “Yang has some good ideas and I will strive to incorporate them into my policy platform.”

Yang said he was “ready, willing and able” to assist Chen during her campaign. “I have pledged my full support to Chen but will not neglect my duties as county magistrate.”

According to Su, the DPP will announce the result of its poll for the Tainan special municipality May 7. “Candidates for the remaining three special municipalities will be chosen by the nomination team,” he said.

Taiwan’s special municipality mayoral elections are set for Nov. 27. They involve Taipei City, New Taipei City, which was upgraded from Taipei County, and Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung cities—formed from the mergers of their respective cities and counties. (PCT-JSM)