KMT, TPP leaders campaign for joint Chiayi mayoral candidate, light rail

Taipei, July 4 (CNA) The leaders of Taiwan's two main opposition parties joined their joint Chiayi mayoral candidate Chang Chi-kai (張啟楷) on Saturday to urge the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to approve a light rail network for the city.

Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), chairperson of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), shared the stage in Chiayi to campaign for Chang, a TPP lawmaker who secured the joint nomination in April.

At the campaign event, outgoing Chiayi Mayor Huang Ming-hui (黃敏惠) accused the central government of reneging on a commitment to build a light rail system in the city.

As her second and final mayoral term draws to a close, the KMT mayor recently pointed to a 2005 Executive Yuan directive to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications as evidence of a broken promise, in an interview with the Global Views Monthly.

The central government has failed to deliver on its promise regarding a light rail link to the Chiayi High-Speed Rail (HSR) station for 21 years, Huang said on Saturday, adding that Chiayi remains the only HSR station in the country without a direct rail connection.

Huang also said the close proximity of Chiayi Science Park and Southern Taiwan Science Park makes a rail link in Chiayi City essential.

Chang vowed to continue pushing for the project, winning the backing of Cheng and Huang.

Huang said that TPP and KMT lawmakers are scheduled to hold a press conference next week to press the Executive Yuan to approve the Chiayi light rail project.

In response, Wang Mei-hui (王美惠), the DPP's mayoral candidate, said she will roll out her campaign platform on July 25 at an event featuring senior central government officials.