Japanese political scientist Yoshiyuki Ogasawara visited New Taipei City mayoral candidates Su Qiaohui and Li Sichuan, saying that the outcome of the election is unpredictable

There are 58 days to go before the nine-in-one general election. In New Taipei City, which is regarded as the most important first-level battle zone, DPP candidate Su Qiao and KMT candidate Li Sichuan are evenly matched. Well-known Japanese political scholar Yoshiyuki Ogasawara, who has long followed and analyzed Taiwan's elections, interviewed the two candidates on Wednesday and admitted that the outcome of the election is unpredictable.

Ogasawara Yoshiyuki posted on Facebook on Wednesday that the key battlefield that will determine the outcome of the blue-green election in the general election at the end of this year is New Taipei City, which has the largest population in Taiwan (more than 4 million people). Since 2005, the Kuomintang has been in power in New Taipei City for 5 terms for 21 years (including the predecessor Taipei County). In terms of fundamentals, although the KMT has a slight advantage over the DPP, the median voters also account for a certain proportion. According to the latest polls, Su Qiaohui is temporarily leading by a slight margin. With two months to go until polling day, the outcome of the election is still undecided.

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Ogasawara Yoshiyuki paid a special visit to Li Sichuan and Su Qiaohui and praised the two candidates for their rich experience in government affairs and politics. The first is Li Sichuan, who has served as the deputy mayor of New Taipei City, Kaohsiung City and Taipei City. He also served as the Secretary-General of the Party Central Committee when Zhu Lilun was the chairman of the Kuomintang. Compared with standing on the stage, he mainly plays a behind-the-scenes role. He uses his solid administrative skills as a sign and has accumulated a lot of achievements. "This is his first time running for election, and it is also my first time to visit."

Next is Su Qiaohui, who has been reelected as a legislator in New Taipei City's Fifth District for three terms. She is the daughter of Su Zhenchang, the former Taipei County Mayor and Chief Executive Officer. Although she is what everyone calls a "second-generation politician," she has continued to work hard in the fields of education, childcare, and social welfare, and has embarked on her own political path. "The last time I visited was in November 2015, during the legislative election process when she ran for the first time and was elected."

Ogasawara Yoshiyuki revealed that he asked the two candidates respectively about the current election situation in New Taipei and the impact of the recently hotly discussed "ocean current" on the New Taipei City mayoral election. "Because the two sides did not discuss the content publicly, we were able to have a more in-depth and candid exchange of opinions. It was very fruitful for me to study Taiwan's elections. Even though they have very busy schedules, Candidates Lee and Su still took the time to be interviewed, for which I express my sincere gratitude."