ECCT Special Lunch

Roundtable discussion of mayoral and city council election races

Guest panellists:

• Brian Hioe (邱琦欣), Freelance Journalist and Translator
• Dr Shen Fu-Hsiung (沈富雄), Former Taiwan Legislator and Economic and Political Commentator
• Mark Ho (何志偉), Legislator for the Shilin Datong District in Taipei
• Alfred Lin (林家興), Deputy Director of the Culture and Communication Committee and Director of the Party History Archive of the Kuomintang (KMT)

Moderator:
Mr. Gavin Phipps, the ICRT Morning News Anchor

Date: 25 October 2022
Time: 12:00-14:00
Venue: 5F, Prosperity & Longevity, Marriott Taipei / 台北萬豪酒店5F祿壽廳
Address: No.199, Lequn 2nd road, Zhongshan district, Taipei/ 台北市中山區樂群二路199號

Taiwan’s municipal elections for city mayors, councillors and village chiefs will take place on 26 November. The opposition Kuomintang has traditionally done well in local elections and even did so in the last municipal elections in 2018, despite losing the national level presidential and legislative elections to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) just two years earlier (in 2016). This time around, both parties have the advantage of incumbency in certain races (KMT candidates are running for re-election in New Taipei and Taichung while the DPP’s incumbents are running for re-election in Tainan and Kaohsiung). Meanwhile, opinion polls suggest that Taipei is toss-up between either one of the three main candidates running.

The DPP will be seeking to hold onto traditional pan-blue areas that it was able to capture in previous elections - Taoyuan and Keelung have traditionally gone to the KMT but were held by DPP mayors Cheng Wen-tsan and Lin Yu-chang for the past eight years. For its part, the KMT has had hopes to make inroads into southern Taiwan ever since the unexpected election victory of Han Kuo-yu in Kaohsiung 2018, with Han later becoming the KMT’s presidential candidate in the 2020 elections. However, for the KMT to repeat this feat in the south looks like a long shot. But the DPP may struggle in Taoyuan, given its missteps, in first selecting and then replacing its original candidate, Hsinchu mayor Lin Chih-chien, after he became embroiled in a plagiarism scandal.

Who will triumph in Taipei? Will incumbents hold on in other major cities? Will city councillor elections go the same way as mayoral elections? Will the emerging Taiwan People’s Party led by current Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-jo make inroads in any cities? Will China’s ongoing grey zone intimidation tactics influence voters? These are just some of the questions our distinguished panel of political experts will mull over at this event.

Panellists will discuss and analyse the various races, the candidates, their election prospects and the implications for the political climate, business and trade, depending on the outcome.

About the panellists

Brian Hioe (邱琦欣) is a freelance journalist and translator, writing frequent articles for prominent international publications including the Washington Post, The Nation, The Diplomat, as well as the ECCT’s Euroview magazine, which provide analysis and insights into political developments in Taiwan. He is one of the founding editors of New Bloom, an online magazine covering activism and youth politics in Taiwan and the Asia Pacific, founded in Taiwan in 2014 in the wake of the Sunflower Movement. He is a frequent guest and panellist on television and radio shows, including ICRT’s “Taiwan This Week”, and speaker at international events. He also helps run Daybreak Cafe, an art and event space founded by New Bloom in Wanhua, Taipei. 

Dr Shen Fu-Hsiung (沈富雄) is an experienced former Taiwan legislator and a sought-after economic and political commentator. He has served on several legislative committees and formerly held key posts in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), namely Executive Director of the Policy committee and Chairman of the Central Review committee. Dr Shen holds an MD degree from National Taiwan University and a PhD from the University of California.

Mark Ho (何志偉) is legislator for the Shilin Datong district in Taipei. He was form erly Chief Consultant of the Taipei Traditional Chinese Medicine Association, Consultant of the Taipei Early Childhood Education Association, and Treasure Island New Sound Radio DJ. He wrote "Lessons from Ebola: Preventing the Next Epidemic" certified by the Harvard Global Health Institute. He was the Founder of the Taiwan Art Fair and President of the Congressional Foreign Strategy Consensus Committee of the Taiwan American Congressional Association. 

Alfred Lin ( Lin Chia-Hsing, 林家興) currently serves as Deputy Director of the Culture and Communication Committee and Director of the Party History Archive of the Kuomintang (KMT). He previously served as Chairman of the KMT Youth League and Confidential Assistant as a speechwriter at the Office of the President, the Republic of China. In 2021, Lin was on the staff of Eric Chu’s office when Chu was running for Chairman of the KMT election, which he then won. He was also a political consultant and member of the spokesperson group to Terry Gou when Gou was considering running independently for the 2020 presidential elections. 

Cost: NT$1,600 for members and NT$2,200 for members' guest(s)

Please note that participation may be limited based on Covid-19 restrictions at the time of the event.

To cancel without penalty, written cancellations must be received 24 hours prior to the event.

Contact: Ivy Lin

Tel: 2740-0236 ext. 219 / ivy.lin@ecct.com.tw