TVBS and SET TV announced on the evening of the 11th that they will co-host a televised debate for Taipei mayoral candidates; the two camps negotiate the date and format on the 12th, with cross-examination the focus (Liberty Times, United Daily News, SET News, NOWnews). Puma Shen had earlier invited 4 debates and argued for cross-examination, while Chiang Wan-an said more debates are not better and that details can be discussed, and had earlier agreed only to the TVBS one (CNA, PTS, Liberty Times). Shen launched the “Taipei Great Ocean Current” motorcade sweep on the 11th, which ran all the way to Baoan Temple; the Liberty Times reported over 2,000 vehicles in the convoy and 65,000 livestream viewers, and Shen also apologized on Threads for the complaints the motorcade drew. The social workers' union plans to protest at Lee Yen-hsiu's office on the 12th over her drug remarks of the 9th.
The Taipei mayoralty is a nationally watched local race, and a televised debate is one of the few occasions when candidates must answer each other's questions on the same stage. Whether there is cross-examination decides whether viewers see the two sides challenge each other or each simply say their own piece.
If you are a Taipei resident, watch for the date and rules finally set, and in the debate compare the two sides' concrete approaches to traffic, housing and drug policy, rather than looking only at motorcades and rally crowds. A bigger crowd does not mean more votes.
Shen's camp holds that cross-examination and multiple debates are what let citizens see policy truly tested, and that the incumbent should not pick just a single TV station.
Chiang's camp holds that debates should favor quality over quantity and that details can be discussed, and says the other side's claims include rumor-mongering; the TPP also argues that 1 to 2 sessions are enough.
Whether this negotiation produces a result today depends on three things: whether there will be one debate or several, whether there is cross-examination, and whether the date falls early enough before the Nov. 28 vote. Until both sides sign on and the TV stations announce it, “settled” only means the hosts are settled, not the rules. We also note that the convoy size and livestream viewership are one outlet's claims and cannot be converted directly into support.
Liberty Times · CNA · PTS · United Daily News · SET News · NOWnews (Oct. 11)
TVBS, SET to co-host Taipei mayoral debate; camps talk date and cross-examination today as Shen's “Taipei Great Ocean Current” motorcade sweep debuts
With 47 days to the Nov. 28 nine-in-one elections, the number of debates, the dates and the rules are all still unsettled; Shen's motorcade sweep on the 11th ran from Zhongshan and Datong to Baoan Temple.
TVBS and SET TV announced on the evening of the 11th that they will co-host a televised debate for Taipei mayoral candidates; the Liberty Times, United Daily News, SET News and NOWnews all reported the arrangement. The two camps are to negotiate the date and format on the 12th (Monday), and how cross-examination would work is drawing the most attention. Earlier, Puma Shen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) invited 4 debates and argued for cross-examination; incumbent mayor Chiang Wan-an of the Kuomintang (KMT) said “shouting for more debates doesn't mean winning,” that the details can all be discussed, and that he hopes Shen's representative will attend the Monday talks; Chiang's side had earlier agreed only to the TVBS one (CNA, PTS, Liberty Times). Shen said that without cross-examination one only hears the other side repeat established positions; Chiang's campaign office countered by accusing the other side of spreading rumors, and listed 3 points it considers in dispute (Liberty Times). Chan Wei-yuan of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) thinks 1 to 2 debates are most appropriate (Liberty Times). The debates in the Kaohsiung mayoral race have already been settled; the DPP's Lai Jui-lung said Kaohsiung could do it and he believes Taipei can too (Liberty Times). A televised debate differs from the policy presentation sessions run by the Central Election Commission (those are occasions the election authority holds under the law): it is invited by media and candidates take part voluntarily, so the number of sessions and the rules depend on the two sides negotiating.
Another strand is the contest over campaign momentum. A motorcade sweep is a campaign convoy touring the streets to canvass for votes. The “Taipei Great Ocean Current” motorcade sweep that Shen launched on the 11th ran from Zhongshan and Datong to its terminus at Baoan Temple, where he announced 5 policy proposals in front of the temple; Yahoo News described him as not reading from a script and “unboxing” the items one by one; Taipei city councilor Wang Shih-chien presented a “Thor's hammer” (CNA, Liberty Times). The Liberty Times reported over 2,000 vehicles in the convoy and 65,000 viewers on the livestream, figures from a single outlet with no corroboration from police or organizers. The motorcade also drew complaints, and Shen apologized on Threads (Liberty Times). On the other side, the fallout from Lee Yen-hsiu's 9th remark that “social workers hand out drugs” continues, and the social workers' union plans to protest at her office on the 12th (Liberty Times); the Ministry of Health and Welfare had already clarified that the harm-reduction program is not meant to have social workers distribute drugs. KMT legislators have scheduled drug briefings from 8 agencies, and DPP legislator Lin Yueh-chin urged listening to professional opinion so that the issue does not become an extension of election smears (Liberty Times). The next exchanges will mostly come down to debate rules and the number of sessions; if a date is settled, it will be the biggest public clash before the vote. On the 10th Chiang received at Guangzhao Temple in Wanhua a debate invitation that Shen handed to him personally, and his campaign office responded that it would accept only the TVBS one, so whether Chiang's side accepts this debate co-hosted by two stations is also a point to watch (Liberty Times).