《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Tsai attends Taipei borough warden meet

IN THE LION’S DEN? The closed-door meeting, which drew 180 of the city’s 456 wardens, was organized by an independent politician, though most attendees are KMT members

By Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter

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Although Taipei is traditionally considered a Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） stronghold, Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） was yesterday invited to attend a conference for local borough wardens, where most of the attendees were affiliated with the KMT.

However, only 180 out of the city’s 456 borough wardens signed up for the conference, which was organized by Taipei City Borough Chiefs’ Association president Chin Jung-hui （勤榮輝）, an independent.

Although more than half of the attendees are affiliated with the KMT, some showed no hesitation in expressing their unhappiness with the party and KMT Chairman Eric Chu （朱立倫）, the party’s presidential candidate.

They spoke to reporters outside the meeting, which was held at the Chientan Youth Activity Center and was closed to the media.

KMT member Yuan Chun-chi （袁俊麒）, a warden in Songshan District （松山）, handed out flyers before the meeting criticizing the KMT’s “lack of action in defending the rights of borough chiefs, even though these people help the party in its election campaigns.”

“I am doubtful that the KMT really respects us borough chiefs,” Yuan wrote in the flyer. “No matter how hard it is, we have put our efforts [into campaigning for KMT candidates] in elections, but how have you been handling what we have asked [the KMT leadership] concerning borough chiefs rights?”

Yuan told reporters that the KMT had pressured its members not to attend the meeting, but he insisted on going.

“The KMT is not doing anything to improve borough chiefs’ welfare,” he told reporters.

Asked if he would be worried about any disciplinary measures from the KMT for attending the meeting, Yuan said “no.”

“If the party wants to do something, the replacement of [Deputy Legislative Speaker and former KMT presidential candidate] Hung Hsiu-chu （洪秀柱） is far more problematic,” he said.

Tsai did not say much about the meeting to reporters afterward.

She has more such encounters planned.

Tsai today is scheduled to visit a local irrigation association, farmers’ association and fishermen’s association in Hsinchu City, and have lunch with the organizations’ chairs and executive directors, all of whom are KMT members.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES