Lai: Winning Chiayi County and City Creates Synergistic New Era

Tonight, at the establishment ceremony for Chiayi City mayoral candidate Wang Mei-hui's campaign headquarters, Lai Ching-te explicitly stated that if Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chiayi County magistracy candidate Tsai Yi-lu and mayoral candidate Wang Mei-hui are both elected at the end of the year, their collaboration in combining local governance and central government resources will yield an effect of "one plus one greater than two." This remark is not only an encouragement to the two candidates, but also a strategic declaration by the DPP in key southern constituencies. Serving concurrently as President and DPP Chairperson, Lai used this occasion to demonstrate to the grassroots party apparatus the central government's concern for and support of local elections, hoping to reshape the political landscape in Chiayi in the upcoming year-end local elections.

Chiayi County and City have historically been critical battlegrounds where the pan-Blue and pan-Green forces intersect. In past mayoral elections, the Kuomintang (KMT) mostly captured the mayor's seat by narrow margins, while the magistracy has alternated multiple times between the DPP and the KMT. Tsai Yi-lu has served as the caucus convenor in the county council since 2018, possessing a strong familiarity with local demands in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Wang Mei-hui is a former city councilor who has participated in numerous urban renewal and public construction projects, boasting solid administrative experience. Should the two take office simultaneously, they would be able to establish a horizontal coordination mechanism at the county and city levels, preventing the resource waste and policy conflicts that previously arose from inconsistent administrative decrees between the two jurisdictions. Lai Ching-te's "one plus one greater than two" specifically looks to leverage central government financial and policy support to forge closer cooperation between the county and city, thereby enhancing public service efficiency.

At the central government level, the "agricultural upgrade" and "smart city" initiatives promoted by the DPP administration in recent years closely align with Chiayi's industrial structure. The government has already allocated billions of New Taiwan Dollars to enhance technological cultivation for rice and fruit production and to build smart irrigation systems, while simultaneously promoting public bicycles and smart transportation platforms in Chiayi City. If candidates Tsai and Wang successfully take office following the election, they will have the opportunity to directly connect with these central government projects and rapidly implement them locally, forming a policy convergence between the county, city, and central government, and further elevating local competitiveness and public welfare. Lai Ching-te's commitments at the scene effectively materialized these already-planned resources, allowing voters to perceive the central government's prompt response to local needs.

On the other hand, the DPP's electoral momentum at the national level has experienced fluctuations in recent years, particularly with the loss of certain southern counties and cities, prompting urgent discussions within the party on how to rebuild grassroots support. As party chairperson, Lai must balance administration and party affairs during his presidential term, utilizing victories in local elections to consolidate party organization and the voter base. A twin victory in Chiayi would not only set a precedent for the DPP in the southern region but also serve as a reference model for other counties and cities, further boosting the party's overall competitiveness. Conversely, if the election results fall short of expectations, it could intensify internal party scrutiny over resource allocation and electoral strategies, triggering a ripple effect on future legislative and presidential elections.

Looking at the overall picture, Lai Ching-te's remarks in Chiayi serve both as a political endorsement of the two candidates and as a concrete illustration of the DPP's "vertical" and "horizontal" integration in local governance. If the year-end elections achieve a dual victory for Tsai Yi-lu and Wang Mei-hui, it will forge a demonstration zone in the south characterized by policy synergy and resource sharing for the DPP, further enhancing the interaction efficiency between the central and local governments, and providing a positive boost to the party's overall governance image and future electoral layout. (Source: Central News Agency)