Taipei Mayor Election Updates

mid an article on the KMT's "effort" to do away with corruption, was this interesting tidbit that bespeaks of a hardening of positions:

Meanwhile, the committee also passed a draft banning members from campaigning for candidates of other parties in the year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral and city councilor elections.

The rules state that party chairmen, vice chairs and mayoral candidates may campaign for candidates of pan-blue allies if necessary.

Given that no KMT member would campaign for pan-green camp parties, People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) said the rules were clearly aimed at PFP candidates, including party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), who is likely to contest the Taipei mayoral election.

As the last article says, rules now prevent cooperation between the KMT and PFP in the mayor elections for Taipei -- precisely where fading mainlander luminary James Soong plans to revive his political career. Meanwhile Taiwan News reports that Soong, though still playing coy, nevertheless is ready for a run, says an aide:

Although People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) remained tight-lipped over whether or not he plans to run in the year-end election for Taipei mayor, one of his aides revealed yesterday that Soong has already prepared his basic campaign platform.

Soong will be campaigning on the idea of Taipei City broadening its vision, said Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), director of the PFP's center of policy research.

Chang said that the Soong must come up with innovative ideas for the mayoral campaign, therefore he will not be focusing on the timing of the public announcement of his decision or on when he should launch his campaign headquarters.

Chang made the remarks at a luncheon hosted by Soong to brief reporters covering affairs involving the Taipei City government on his plans for the city, following as series of visits to 449 city boroughs over the past few months. But he stopped short of announcing his decision to run in the election.

Commenting on his observations during his visits to the city boroughs, Soong criticized the city government, led by Kuomintang Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), as lacking in initiative and responsibility. Ma's city administration also does not attach much importance to the grassroots society, Soong said, adding that Ma himself does not have an overall plan to develop the city.

Soong is a consummate master of the populist touch with a make-the-trains-run-on-time reputation that plays well locally. When he was provincial governor he visited every town and village on Taiwan -- note here he is doing exactly the same thing -- visiting every borough and neighborhood of the city. Soong understands in his bones that all politics is relentlessly local on the Beautiful Island.

What is Soong's plan? Simple: Christmas for developers:

What the city needs most is a new round of land reforms, Soong told reporters.

...........

Soong argued that it is unreasonable for the military and the central government to occupy lots of the land in the capital city. He said the administration should take back all the lands that belong to the city and carry out a new land reform program that would allow city residents to share the public resources.

"If we continue to allow big enterprises to enjoy priority in developing the city's land resources, progress would never be achieved," he claimed.

The KMT Machine runs on the incestuous mix of land development, concrete, and organized crime. Here Soong returns to a tried-and-true formula -- appeals to the Machine for support. Make me mayor, he says, and I'll release more land for development profits (presented, of course, as a populist land development program). When Chen was mayor -- also winning a three-way election -- one way he stoked the Machine was by permitting what appeared to be illegal slopeland development around the city. Soong's solution to maintaining support with a mere plurality in a city controlled by the KMT looks to be something similar.

[Taiwan] [James Soong] [Chen Shui-bian] [PFP] [DPP] [KMT] [land policy]