DPP's Tsai optimistic about local elections

Tsai Ing-wen made the remarks in a radio interview in which she also said that according to recent polls, DPP candidates in the three counties had strong leads, while the candidate in Yilan county was enjoying a narrow lead against this ruling Kuomintang (KMT) counterpart and there was hope for the DPP in Taitung County.

“Overall, the situation for the DPP is moving in a positive direction, but close observation is still needed as to whether the tendency can be maintained up to polling day, when we can see quality change made through quantity change,” Tsai said.

“It would be disappointing if the DPP fails to hold on to power in Yunlin, Chiayi and Pingtung counties,” she added.

In the case of Hualien County, Tsai for the first time in public spoke in support of Chang Chih-ming, an independent candidate, saying that the battle in Hualien is not about winning but rather about choosing a good magistrate.

Tsai expressed reluctance to predict the election results, however, saying that the biggest variable in local elections is vote-buying and that the key to winning lies in bribery prevention.

To that end, the DPP's legislative caucus has already purchased video-taping equipment, she added.

More than 800 suspected vote-buying cases in relation to the local elections for mayors and magistrates, city and county councilors, and city and township heads, had already been reported as of Nov. 15, of which 13 are under investigation, according to the Ministry of Justice.

As six cities and counties — Taipei County, Taichung City, Taichung County, Tainan City, Tainan County and Kaohsiung County — will be upgraded or merged into municipalities that will not elect new chiefs until late 2010, this year's elections will be held in only 17 cities and counties.

Asked whether she will run for a mayoral position in one of the new municipalities, Tsai said it is too early to discuss, but added that “while sometimes the party chair might not be the best candidate, there are times when it is the chair's responsibility to stand up and play the game.”

She also urged party members who intend to run for mayoral positions in the new municipalities to first work together to win the upcoming local elections before sitting down to discuss the matter.

Tsai was referring to a recent quarrel between Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu and Kaohsiung Magistrate Yang Chiu-hsing, both of whom look set to vie for the DPP ticket for the Kaohsiung municipal elections slated for 2010, when Kaohsiung County is scheduled to be merged with Kaohsiung City.

Yang accused Chen of releasing a poll survey showing that both Chen's support rate and satisfaction rate were higher than Yang's. Chen denied the accusation, saying that she had not published any public opinion polls.

Meanwhile, acting DPP spokesman Chuang Suo-hang said the party consensus is to discuss the arrangements for the 2010 elections after the elections and that a party congress will be held in January to formulate a mechanism for fair competition.

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