TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hsinchu Deputy Mayor Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) resigned Wednesday in anticipation of the TPP’s nomination for the Zhubei mayoral race.
Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安) confirmed she had received Chiu’s resignation and wished him well in the upcoming election, per Liberty Times. Kao said discussions over a replacement are ongoing.
TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said in an interview that the party’s election committee decided Tuesday to nominate Chiu, per UP Media. He added that the central committee is expected to approve the decision without issue and that an official announcement would be made on Wednesday afternoon.
KMT Hsinchu County magistrate candidate Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) said Chiu’s nomination would allow the opposition coalition to move forward with its framework in the county, per Liberty Times. Incumbent Magistrate Yang Wen-ke (楊文科) said the KMT would announce its own Zhubei mayoral candidate before the end of May, per Liberty Times.
KMT Hsinchu County branch official Chuang Chi-min (莊佶霖) said only County Councilors Chiu Ching-ya (邱靖雅) and Wu Hsu-chih (吳旭智) have signed declarations stating they will not seek re-election to the city council to compete in the KMT’s nomination process.
As Zhubei Mayor Cheng Chao-fang (鄭朝方) weighs whether to seek re-election or run for Hsinchu County magistrate, opposition parties have already begun competing for the seat. A local political insider suggested the TPP’s swift move to nominate Chiu may signal a departure from the opposition’s cooperative framework, per UDN.
The insider said the TPP may be using the nomination to seize the initiative in the mayoral race.
KMT Hsinchu County Councilor Lin Yu-yu (林禹佑), who has expressed interest in running for Zhubei mayor, said he respected the TPP’s decision but warned the party may have overlooked grassroots feedback. Lin Yu-yu said future opposition cooperation would depend on respect for the KMT and local political forces.
Meanwhile, TPP Hsinchu County Councilor Lin Shuo-yen (林碩彥), the party’s only councilor in Hsinchu, said he respected the decision to nominate Chiu, per UDN. Lin Shuo-yen had previously announced his own intention to run for Zhubei mayor and publicly urged Chiu to face him in a primary.
Lin Shuo-yen said he would likely seek re-election and work to expand the TPP’s presence in Hsinchu County.
