ELECTION 2024/DPP canvases for support at 'Super Sunday' Pingtung campaign rally

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative nominees gathered for a "Super Sunday" event in Pingtung County Sunday, with presidential candidate Lai Ching-te (賴清德) making a push to consolidate support in an area generally considered a DPP stronghold.

Addressing a crowd of about 40,000 supporters brimming with excitement, former Pingtung County Magistrate Pan Men-an (潘孟安), who served as the head of the southern Taiwan county from 2014 to 2022, delivered an emotional plea.

He acknowledged the ruling party's imperfections, saying "there's ample room for improvement," even as "Taiwan's economic development performance has been nothing short of stunning."

Joined on the stage by DPP legislative nominees for Pingtung, Pan urged supporters "not to let Taiwan go backward," emphasizing that the path to a more democratic and improved Taiwan lies in voting for the DPP ticket.

"Your vote is all that's needed [to reach that goal]," he said.

The crowd erupted in cheers as Vice President Lai stepped onto the stage.

Sporting a green bomber jacket, Lai highlighted the credentials of himself and his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), saying that the DPP ticket stands out as the most capable and well-prepared of the three contenders.

On Jan. 13, the DPP presidential ticket faces off against Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) and Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康) of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), and Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Wu Hsin-ying (吳欣盈) of the Taiwan People's Party in the race for the Presidential Office.

Lai brings almost three decades of domestic political experience to the table. He selected Hsiao, who served as Taiwan's envoy to the United States from July 2020 to November 2023, in an effort to bolster his international credentials.

Hou, the former chief of Taiwan's police force, entered the political scene in 2010 as deputy mayor of New Taipei. His running mate Jaw, meanwhile, is a former senior political figure and media commentator known for being articulate and a good debater.

The TPP's Ko, formerly a surgeon, entered the political arena with victory in the Taipei mayoral race in 2014. He chose Wu, heiress to one of Taiwan's biggest family-run conglomerates, as his running mate after a potential alliance with the KMT collapsed.

During Sunday's event, Lai shifted his focus to the "consequences" if the DPP fails to secure a majority in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's top legislative body.

"Can President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) development policies persist if we do not secure a majority [in the Legislative Yuan]?" asked Lai.

He added that in such a scenario, the government would be unable to get anything done, making all past efforts futile.

"If the KMT secures a majority, will it permit young Chinese individuals to work in Taiwan? Yes, [because] this is part of Hou's platform," he said, referencing Hou's proposal which he said allows students from China to work while studying in Taiwan.

Lai went on: "If the KMT wins a majority, are there going to be more people like Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) in the Legislative Yuan?"

"If that occurs, wouldn't there be a greater risk of leaking Taiwan's military secrets?"

Ma, a KMT legislator and member of the Foreign and National Defense Committee of the Legislative Yuan, has strongly refuted accusations she leaked information related to Taiwan's indigenous submarine program, in a case prosecutors are still investigating.

Around 19.5 million Taiwanese voters are set to cast their votes for the next president and lawmakers in the 113-seat Legislature Yuan, utilizing 17,795 polling stations across the nation.