President 
Lai Ching-te appeared on Saturday at the opening of the campaign headquarters of Chen Pin-an, the Democratic Progressive Party's candidate in the year-end Miaoli County magistrate race. Lai, who also chairs the party, presented Chen with the campaign flag, Liberty Times reported, and praised her for running "not for fame, not for profit, not for any position." Thousands of supporters turned out in the rain at the event in Zhunan, alongside the party's candidates for Miaoli City, Toufen and Zhuolan mayor, CNA reported.
Who is Chen Pin-an? Chen, now a Miaoli County councillor, was a lawyer in Taipei who came to Miaoli through the Yuanli protest movement against wind turbines, where she helped residents who had been sued with their court cases, Lai said. She stayed, married, had children and went into council work, and after eight years of local experience put forward a "Happy Miaoli 345" blueprint. It pairs three commitments with four pillars covering education, industry, transport and care for the old and young, plus five visions spanning culture, education, environment, region and community.
What did the president promise the county? Central spending on Miaoli has reached NT$218.8 billion over the past decade, and next year's allocation will rise by more than NT$2 billion over this year's, Lai said in remarks carried by CNA. He cited TSMC's packaging and testing presence at the Zhunan park, Micron's move into Tongluo, NT$2.1 billion in central funding for a critical-care and cancer building at the health ministry's Miaoli Hospital, and the widening of National Freeway 1 between Yangmei and Toufen. If Chen becomes magistrate she can strengthen links with the central government, he said, and he will back any construction Miaoli needs that she puts forward.
What did Chen say? Chen said that when she quit law and returned to Miaoli eight years ago, she faced suspicion that she was only after name recognition and more legal work, CNA reported. She said rumours during the campaign would not make her back down, and urged supporters to unite behind the party and like-minded candidates.
Figures referenced: Lai Ching-te. — JudgeMarket.
