Kuomintang (KMT) New Taipei mayoral candidate Lee Szu-chuan opened his Yonghe district joint campaign headquarters on Sept. 20, repeating pledges to speed up urban renewal and push ahead with the MRT Zhonghe-Guangfu line. Lee, whose event drew nearly 800 supporters by CNA's count, said headquarters in all 29 of the city's districts would be launched one by one. His campaign headquarters had opened a day earlier, the Liberty Times reported, naming New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih as its chair.
What did Lee promise in Yonghe? Lee said Yonghe developed early and has narrow roads, and that many homes there more than 30 years old fall short on earthquake resistance, CNA reported. "Housing justice is important; housing safety is even more important," he said, pledging an urban renewal promotion committee that he would convene himself. He credited Hou with laying a very solid foundation for the city's development, said the two had fought side by side before and said that with Hou handing him the baton he would give it his all: "If residents stand by me to the end, I will fight to the end."
Why are the candidates at odds over an urban renewal bureau? Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rival Su Chiao-hui had proposed creating an urban renewal bureau if elected, and Lee questioned the idea, saying its work would overlap with existing urban-rural and urban development departments and calling it "completely unnecessary," the Liberty Times reported. Su responded that urban renewal capacity in both Taipei and New Taipei was clearly insufficient, and said even Chiang Wan-an had said it could be considered.
What did Su offer Penghu voters? Su and Penghu County magistrate candidate Wu Shu-chin launched a Penghu hometown support group the same day, pitching cooperation policies between the two places. Wu said she and her husband, Penghu County Magistrate Chen Kuang-fu, were urging Penghu natives living away from home to back Su as the candidate who best understands New Taipei, CNA reported. Su said New Taipei, with more than 4 million people, is one of Taiwan's largest consumer markets, and pledged to expand fairs selling Penghu farm and fishery products there, launch a New Taipei-Penghu study tour for primary and secondary schools, and co-host an ocean culture festival with twin-city tour itineraries.
