Reporter Hong Meixiu/Feature
Hsinchu Mayor Bailihou has determined that the current mayor Gao Hongan will compete with Zhuang Jingcheng, nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party, and He Zhiyong, who was born in the Blue Army. Gao Hong'an takes advantage of the "Blue and White Alliance" and the advantages of being in power. Although he is not registered as a party member, his starting point is far ahead of his two opponents. In the past five months, Zhuang Jingcheng, launched by Green Camp, has grown significantly through diligent grassroots advocacy and a number of political opinions. Although He Zhiyong was the first to announce his candidacy for mayor, he is still flying alone because he has not received support from the Blue Army. On the surface, the battle for Hsinchu Mayor Bailihou looks like a three-person contest, but in reality, the incumbent Gao Hongan has a comparative advantage, and Green Camp is rushing to catch up.
Gao Hongan was nominated by the Kuomintang Party to run for Hsinchu mayor for the first time in 2022. After the Kuomintang abandoned the bail operation, he successfully entered the Hsinchu City Government. However, due to lawsuits such as personal assistant fees during his legislative period, false accusations, and doctoral dissertations, Gao's 4-year term as mayor attracted national attention in addition to frequent court appearances and court appearances. He was also suspended for 1 year and 5 years after being sentenced in the first instance for corruption. In the past month, many political performance evaluations have failed, which has become a burden for Gao Hong'an to seek re-election. However, during his suspension, he faced a general recall launched by the civil society against Gao. He passed the mid-term review with the highest dissenting vote in the country. Even though he quit the People's Party, he still received the support of "Blue and White" as an independent party. In addition, taking advantage of the current ruling advantage, there is almost no suspense in seeking re-election.
Although Zhuang Jingcheng, nominated by the Green Camp, had a slow start, he has legislative and administrative qualifications, plus President Lai Qingde's hand-picked appointment. He has been able to get through the water in more than five months and has a thorough understanding of the grassroots. His familiarity with voters has grown significantly. Through his political opinions and issue statements, he has gradually won the approval of voters. In addition to focusing on urban construction and a sense of glory during the eight years of former mayor Lin Zhijian's tenure, he also questioned many of Gao Hong'an's policies. In addition, he continues to use his political opinions to attack the weaknesses of Gao's policies. It is not impossible to reverse the situation in Hsinchu City.
Former Kuomintang spokesman He Zhiyong was the first to announce his candidacy for mayor. Although he did not receive support from the Blue Army, he had a fresh image and the support of the Kuomintang think tank. Through city salon discussions, he focused on the slogan that the Kuomintang cannot be absent in Bamboo City. Whether He Zhiyong's lone bird courage can break through the countercurrent is worth watching in the future.
