DPP taps three for important posts in the north

Taiwan News reports that the DPP has selected three veterans to run for key posts in northern Taiwan:

Speaking with reporters after a scheduled meeting of the governing party's central standing committee, DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced that the committee had agreed to draft Taiwan Provincial governor and former Hsinchu County Commissioner Lin Kuang-hua (林光華) to run for his former post, DPP Legislator Wang To to run for the Keelung City mayoral post and Miaoli City Mayor Chiu Ping-kun (邱炳坤) to run for the Miaoli County commissioner slot.

The article also notes:

Cheng also stated that Su had expressed gratitude to Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and DPP Legislator Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) for their efforts to attempt to dissuade incumbent Nantou County Commissioner Lin Tsung-nan (林宗南) from running as an independent after the DPP nominated former DPP lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) to run for the Nantou County executive post.

One of Taiwan's most frustrating political problems is factionalization -- brilliantly displayed in the 2000 election, when the two major parties, the DPP and the KMT, each spun off disgruntled party leaders who then ran for President on their own. Because Taiwan's electoral politics are so resolutely local, local leaders are always tempted to either jump ship or run as independents, since their power base is not dependent on the national party.

[Taiwan]