Taipei:Taiwan's two main political parties and their mayoral candidates intensified their campaign activities on Wednesday in preparation for the local elections scheduled for November 28. They announced a series of campaign rallies and policy proposals while discussions continued over a planned televised debate in Taipei.
According to Focus Taiwan, incumbent Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an of the Kuomintang (KMT) stated that a second round of negotiations would be held on Thursday with broadcasters TVBS and SET TV. The talks, involving his campaign team and that of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Puma Shen, aim to finalize the arrangements for the debate, including the agreed-upon cross-questioning format, though the date remains undecided.
Chiang encouraged Shen to have decision-making representatives attend the meeting and hoped all details could be finalized soon. Shen expressed his desire for the debate to occur promptly, noting that the meeting's timing depended on both campaigns' coordination.
In Taichung, KMT's mayoral candidate Johnny Chiang proposed transforming the city into a robotics manufacturing hub, citing its robust industrial base. He pledged to create a smart manufacturing park and invest in education to develop talent. Meanwhile, his DPP opponent Ho Hsin-chun announced a Sunday campaign rally with DPP city councilors and a candidate, where campaign ribbons will be distributed to supporters.
KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wun revealed a series of large rallies starting Saturday in central Taiwan, with more events planned nationwide, each expected to attract around 20,000 supporters. The DPP, however, cautioned against relying on opinion polls and crowd sizes, as these do not necessarily predict electoral success, according to spokesperson Wu Cheng.
Taiwan's 2026 local elections, also known as the "9-in-1" elections, will see voters in 22 cities and counties elect candidates for nine different local government roles, including mayors and councilors. Additionally, positions such as township chiefs and indigenous district chiefs will be contested, with a total of 11,051 posts to be filled across various levels of local government.
