Last-Minute Withdraw from Local Election Draws Backlash|麥寮鄉長最後一刻未登記參選 地方人士反彈

The chief of Mailiao Township in Yunlin County, Hsu Chong-Fu decided last minute not to take part in the local five-in-one election. His decision has drawn much backlash since it leaves the township with only one candidate, chief representative Tsai Chang-Kuen, both are from the DPP. Some said the incident has damaged the DPP's credibility and they will boycott the election by casting void ballots.


After being nominated by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as a candidate for the local election, the head of Mailiao Township in Yunlin County, Hsu Chong-Fu decided last-minute not to register as a candidate. The move leaves the township with only one candidate, local chief representative Tsai Chang-Kuen, who will be elected with 100 percent certainty. The local residents criticized the move and decided to form an alliance to protest the election by voiding the votes.

(The move) leaves only one candidate for Mailiao Township. He simply doesn't deserve more than 20 percent of the votes.

Members of the anti-election alliance said that they will gather around 500 people to protest in front of the local office on September 7. The latest development not only stunned the local residents, it also caught Yunlin County Magistrate Lee Chin-Yung by surprise. He said the incident has damaged the DPP's credibility.

This is about the credibility of a political party, the ruling DPP. The party needs to carefully handle the matter and gives a proper explanation to the public.

As the chief of the township, I will assist my successor and allow him to carry on with the policies that have been put in place in the past four years.

Mailiao Township Chief Hsu Chong-Fu said that he had reported his decision to the DPP headquarters via Lawmaker Su Chih-Fen before it was announced. He said he will respect the DPP's decision regarding the matter. Local residents, on the other hand, suspect that the informal announcement could mean that moves have been made under the table.