In the first televised debate of the Kaohsiung mayoral race on the night of October 30, ahead of the November 28 local elections, KMT candidate Ko Chih-en and DPP candidate Lai Jui-lung traded arguments over revenue sharing, factions and the city’s development. All claims below are the candidates’ own and were not independently verified.
According to the United Daily News, the first televised debate for Kaohsiung mayor was held on the evening of October 30 at the Public Television southern center, the first direct face-off between the KMT’s Ko Chih-en and the DPP’s Lai Jui-lung. This report could not confirm the debate’s format or time rules.
광고 문의 · 300×250Ko said she did not leave Kaohsiung after losing four years ago, and argued that being a ‘Kaohsiung person’ is a matter of attachment to the land rather than birthplace. She credited Mayor Chen Chi-mai’s concert economy and high-tech industry gains but said residents’ pockets had not benefited, pointing to a population drop of about 62,000 over six years and a life expectancy 4.1 years shorter than Taipei’s.
Ko Chih-en: two offices in the first month
Ko pledged to set up an anti-bullying office and an equal-development office within her first month. The first is meant to keep privilege and political interference out of schools; the second to address lagging tourism, transport and healthcare in outlying districts 16 years after the city-county merger. She also proposed a traditional-industry revival fund, a ‘land and air upgrade’ plan for light rail and highways, and redevelopment of the Army Arsenal site.
In her closing statement she set aside her script and accused Lai of being ‘held hostage’ by the New Tide faction, saying figures such as Fu Kun-chi would not enter her city government. The United Daily News quoted a scholar as saying Ko appeared composed while Lai seemed constrained. That is one expert’s reading, and assessments of debate performance may differ by political leaning.
Lai Jui-lung: fiscal gap and ‘three firsts’
Lai argued that Ko cooperated with the KMT and Taiwan People’s Party in twice amending the revenue allocation law, widening the north-south fiscal gap. He said the general-grant gap between Kaohsiung and Taipei grew from NT$19.4 billion last year to NT$39 billion this year and a projected NT$43.1 billion next year, while project subsidies fell from NT$49.8 billion to NT$33.4 billion, with NT$21.1 billion projected next year. Ko countered that the shared-allocation sum rose NT$27.8 billion this year and that the Executive Yuan has not implemented NT$63.6 billion in legislated subsidies.
Lai offered ‘Industry First,’ ‘Southern Gateway First’ and ‘Happiness First’ pledges, including AI computing and chip packaging centers, an MRT Red Line extension, National Highway 7, a NT$50,000 birth subsidy and one public daycare per school district. He said he has about ten years each in city government and the legislature and wants to be the most trustworthy politician; Ko called him a ready-made ‘golden grandson’ of the faction. As southern Taiwan’s largest city, Kaohsiung draws national attention.
The debate is the first of several public encounters before the November 28 vote. The candidates offered differing readings on finance, factions and regional balance, and voters’ judgment will depend on later debates and campaigning. This newspaper does not endorse or oppose any candidate.
