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Updated Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:00 am TWN, The China Post news staff



	Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), second from right, campaigns for DPP challenger Lin Tsung-hsien, second from left, together with former DPP Chairman Lin Yi-hsiung, left, and Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu, right, in Yilan County, yesterday. (CNA) More Photos (2)

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ELECTION SHOWDOWN

Chan said the KMT's “difficulties” spring from three main factors. The first factor is that three of the county magistrate seats — Yunlin, Chiayi and Pingtung — are currently in the hands of the DPP.

The second is that the KMT's nomination process for the counties it holds — notably Hsinchu and Hualien — was rocky and there and there has been little reconciliation, which could cause severe divisions among the party's regular supporters.

The third factor is the situation in Yilan County which is traditionally a DPP stronghold in the north, he added.

There were the major reasons for President Ma to take more campaign trips to Hsinchu, Hualien, and Yilan than other areas.

Chan predicted that the voters' turnout rate will be between 67 percent and 68 percent, slightly higher than the forecast of between 60 and 65 percent by the Cabinet-level Central Election Commission (CEC).

DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen stumped respectively for Chang Hwa-kuan and Peng Shao-chin, the party's magisterial candidates in Chiayi and Hsinchu counties, during the day.

She traveled to Yilan County to attend a night rally for the DPP candidate there, Lin Tsong-shyan, with an aim to take back the county from the KMT.

The DPP is confident of retain control of the three counties it now holds while making a big push in Yilan.

Several former premiers and chairmen of party have focused attacks mainly on Ma's “China-leaning” policies, especially his plan to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, and the relaxation on the imports of American beef products.

A total of 40 members and supporters of both major parties plus an additional 21 independents and 46 people with unclear party affiliations have been officially detained in probes into vote-buying schemes by prosecutors, according to the Ministry of Justice. There are many more suspects still under investigation.

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