KMT and TPP Join Forces to Flip Tainan, Urging Hsieh Lung-Chai to Make History

On the eve of the Tainan mayoral election, Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Hsieh Lung-chieh held an inaugural rally for his campaign headquarters on the evening of November 1 in Tainan City. The event drew a significant number of supporters from within and outside the party. KMT Chairman Cheng Li-wen and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang took turns arriving to endorse the candidate. On stage, the two party leaders chanted the slogan “Flip Tainan,” urging voters to elect Hsieh to the municipal government. This move aims not only to secure the Tainan mayoralty in the upcoming election but also symbolizes the two parties’ strategy of seeking cooperation in local elections to broaden their electoral base.

The Tainan mayoral election has been a focal point of Taiwan’s local politics since 2018. In the 2018 election, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate won by a narrow margin and successfully sought re-election in 2022, indicating that the city has trended toward the DPP in recent years. However, the KMT’s traditional influence in Tainan has not entirely vanished, particularly in agriculture, traditional crafts, and local culture, where it retains a certain level of influence. Hsieh’s standing within the KMT is significant; he has served as a legislator and has demonstrated a dual focus on Tainan’s traditions and innovation in various local affairs, granting him a degree of affinity with voters.

The core message of this rally is “Flip Tainan,” which embodies a new vision for Tainan’s economic development and urban planning. In his campaign statements, Hsieh repeatedly mentioned accelerating the construction of a smart city in Tainan, upgrading the public transportation network, and emphasizing a policy direction of “promoting innovative industries while preserving historical culture.” These propositions align closely with Tainan’s development needs in tourism, cultural creativity, and high-tech industries, and are likely to attract the attention of young voters and entrepreneurs.

The attendance of both Cheng and Huang to endorse the candidate highlights the possibility of cross-party cooperation. The KMT and the TPP often operate independently in local elections, but on key battlegrounds like Tainan, an agreement on candidate support between the two parties would significantly enhance their competitiveness against the DPP. This move could also lay the foundation for future cooperation at both local and central levels, particularly in promoting local infrastructure and social welfare, where cross-party synergy would be more pronounced.

If Hsieh wins the election, it will have a profound impact on Tainan’s policy direction. First, Tainan’s urban planning may place greater emphasis on the integration of technology and creative industries, further enhancing the city’s competitiveness. Second, local governance approaches may be adjusted to emphasize public participation and transparency. Finally, as a significant cultural and tourism city, Tainan is likely to receive more attention in national-level resource allocation, thereby promoting the diversified development of the local economy. These changes would not only benefit Tainan itself but could also provide a reference for local governance across Taiwan.

(Source: Central News Agency)