The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) on Wednesday announced the selection of Tainan City Councilor Hsieh Lung-chieh (???) as the party’s candidate for November’s mayoral election in the southern Taiwan city.
Hsieh, who ran unsuccessfully for the Legislative Yuan in 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2020, will face another uphill battle in November, with the ruling Democratic Progressive having won every Tainan mayoral election since 1997.
The KMT made the announcement of Hsieh’s selection during the party’s Central Standing Committee meeting in Taipei.
The 20-year Tainan City Council veteran will be pitted against incumbent Mayor Huang Wei-che (???), who is seeking a second term after winning in 2018 with 38 percent of the vote.
KMT Secretary-General Justin Huang (???) said Hsieh emerged as the candidate ahead of Chen I-Hsin (???), a party-list member of the Legislative Yuan, following internal discussions.
After the announcement, Hsieh said he hoped to bring a transition of power to the Tainan, adding that “together with Tainan residents, we hope to create history for a democratic transition and make Tainan a sacred place for democracy again.”
Hsieh criticized the incumbent mayor, Huang Wei-che, for failing Tainan residents, citing low salaries, poor traffic, and high housing costs in the city.
However, the KMT candidate did not provide details on how he would rectify these issues if elected.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel