KMT’s Wang wins Taipei legislative by-election

Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Wang Hung-wei (???) declared victory in the legislative by-election in Taipei on Sunday, beating main rival Enoch Wu (???) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Wang, a veteran Taipei City councilor, declared triumph at around 5:20 p.m., 80 minutes after the polls closed.

The KMT candidate was a heavy favorite heading into the Sunday, with pre-election polls in the capital city’s third electoral district putting the 58-year-old former journalist well ahead of the DPP’s Wu.

The electoral district covers the Zhongshan and northern Songshan districts, which has been left vacant after Chiang Wan-an (???) of the KMT was elected Taipei mayor last November.

Wang was first elected to the Taipei City Council as a member of the unification-leaning New Party in 2006 before switching to the KMT in 2013, and was most recently reelected in November last year.

She was originally reluctant to run in the by-election before but made an about-face after several KMT heavyweights urged her to run.

Wang later apologized to her constituents, saying her decision to accept the party’s nomination came after much contemplation, and that she understood the importance of the legislative seat for the KMT and was willing to take on the difficult task.

During the campaign, the DPP accused Wang of abandoning the people who voted to reelect her to the city council.

Sunday’s defeat is the second in the same electoral district for the DPP’s Wu, a 42-year-old former special forces soldier, following a 6-percent-point defeat to the current Taipei Mayor Chiang in 2020.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel