CANDIDATES: Puma Shen’s team distributed a newsletter to help the public understand his proposals, while Chiang Wan-an’s campaign touted his achievements as mayor
By Gan Meng-lin and Ho Yu-hua / Staff reporters
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) has issued his policy platform and campaign materials, as Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), who is seeking re-election, prepares to open his campaign headquarters tomorrow.
Shen’s campaign team on Thursday launched the “Heart Policy Island” (HEART政策島) online platform, turning his 14 major policy themes and 94 policy items into an interactive virtual island that visitors can explore on his official Web site.
DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤), Shen’s campaign manager, said on Friday that the team’s policy strategy would move into a “comprehensive review” phase, consolidating its policies and tailoring outreach to different districts to help residents better understand the proposals.
A policy platform named “Heart Policy Island” launched by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen is pictured yesterday.
Photo: Screen grab from puma.taipei
Since August, the campaign team has introduced a series of policies on transportation, education and youth issues, Wu said, adding that with the campaign entering its final stretch, the focus would shift to consolidating the proposals and promoting them.
With so many policy proposals already announced, a comprehensive review would help the public better understand them, she said.
Distributing the Soon Daily (順報) newsletter at MRT stations and launching the “Heart Policy Island” on Shen’s official Web site were intended to serve that purpose, she added.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Ho Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The team would continue to follow its campaign strategy of “citizens first, municipal affairs first,” and seek to persuade Taipei residents through its approach to municipal governance, Wu said.
The team also drew on the policy visions of previous Taipei mayors when developing its proposals and learned from their experience in municipal government, she said.
Meanwhile, Chiang’s campaign headquarters opening rally is scheduled for 2pm tomorrow, his campaign office said.
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) have been invited to share the stage with Chiang, it added.
At the event, mayors and candidates from neighboring cities and counties will also form a “Get Things Done Alliance” (做事連線) focused on professional governance and residents’ needs, it said.
They include Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang (張善政), New Taipei City mayoral candidate Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) and KMT Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲), who is running for Yilan County commissioner — all KMT members — as well as independent Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安).
The office hinted that three “mystery guests” would also attend. Speculation about whether Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) would be among them has attracted attention.
Chiang’s campaign office said that over the past four years, Chiang had advanced several infrastructure projects, including the opening of the Taipei Dome despite obstacles, efforts to bring Nvidia Corp’s Taiwan headquarters to the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park and work on six MRT lines simultaneously.
He has also proposed relocating Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), creating an artificial intelligence park and advancing urban renewal, the office said, adding that he would continue to foster a new phase of development for Taipei.
Facing what it described as political attacks by the DPP in the media and on social media, Chiang’s team would neither back down nor lose momentum, his campaign office said.
The rally would be an important opportunity to unite supporters from all walks of life and regroup for the campaign ahead, it added.
The office called on Taipei residents to come together and show that they care about the city’s future, saying “great municipal progress deserves an encore!” — a reference to Chiang’s “encore” campaign slogan.