Mayoral By-election in Kaohsiung to be Held on Aug. 15|中選會公告罷韓通過 昨傳楊明州派代

The mayoral by-election in Kaohsiung will be held on Aug. 15, according to the Central Election Commission. While the KMT remains undecided on its candidate, reports have it that DPP's Chen Chi-mai, who lost to Han in the 2018 Kaohsiung mayoral election and now serves as vice premier, will resign to run in the by-election. Kaohsiung City advisor Yang Ming-chou is reported to be appointed acting mayor during the interim period.


Despite having taken the morning off, Kaohsiung City advisor Yang Ming-chou came to work when he heard there was a crowd of reporters waiting for him at city hall.

I had some personal matters to attend to this morning, so I had to take the morning off. (Has the premier contacted you?) No. (So was yesterday morning the first time the premier asked you about the acting mayor position, or did he ask you even before that?) No, no. It hasn't happened.

The Central Election Commission will formally announce the recall of Han Kuo-yu on the 12th. Yang says he has not been contacted by the Executive Yuan about the acting mayor position but he has an administrative blueprint for the city if he is appointed.

With it being summer now, flood control is of course the top priority. (Second) is typhoon (disaster) prevention. There's supposed to be one typhoon that's going to get close (to Taiwan) soon. Finally, there's disease prevention.

Yang began working for Kaohsiung City in 1984 and was deputy mayor under Chen Chu. Han appointed him Kaohsiung City secretary-general due to his expertise before he moved on to his current role as city advisor. Yang has worked under nine mayors in 36 years. On his first day out of office, Han attended several funeral events.

Are you thinking about your next step? I'm already walking my next step.

Chen Chi-mai, who was appointed vice premier after losing the Kaohsiung City mayor election to Han, has spent the last few weeks reaching out to city councilors. According to reports, he will resign as vice premier and announce his candidacy for the by-election on the 17th. Meanwhile, the KMT remains undecided on its candidate.



高雄市府參事楊明州匆匆趕到市府，上午原本請假，但聽到大批媒體守候，處理完私事後，立刻銷假趕來上班。

高雄市府參事 楊明州表示：「早上是因為家裡有事，沒辦法準時來上班，所以必須要先休假。（有接到院長電話嗎？）沒有。（所以昨天早上，才第一次院長徵詢意見嗎？還是在這之前就有？）沒有，沒有，都沒有。」

韓國瑜遭罷免後，中選會12號下午才會公告，據傳楊明州是行政院屬意代理人選，但楊明州始終沒有鬆口，但談到未來如果接任，對市政早有規劃。

高雄市府參事 楊明州表示：「當然現在是夏天，防汛是第一要務，再來也是防颱，最近有個颱風，可能會比較接近，那再來就是防疫。」

楊明州1984年進入高雄市政府任職，在陳菊擔任市長時，是副市長，韓國瑜上任後，想借重他的工程長才，任為秘書長，隨後改任參事，在市府經歷九任市長，長達36年市府資歷，嫻熟市政。

而高雄市長韓國瑜卸下市長職務第一天，留在地方跑公祭行程。

記者 vs.前高雄市長 韓國瑜表示：「 (有想好下一步怎麼走嗎？) 我正在走啊！」

高雄市長補選即將展開，行政院副院長陳其邁這段期間頻頻和議員接觸，了解市政，明顯有參選意願，有消息指出17號就會辭官表態參選，而國民黨派誰應戰，目前仍是未知數。