DPP’s Lai launching unofficial campaign offices

And now for the latest in the presidential election. DPP candidate Lai Ching-te is crisscrossing the island to set up unofficial campaign offices, which will be a crucial support base in the election. He opened the first office in Tainan, his old political stronghold. The New Taipei City chapter is set to launch on June 25, in a direct challenge to the KMT’s Hou Yu-ih . On Wednesday, Lai held a banquet for a visiting dignitary, who signaled support for his presidential bid. Vice President Lai Ching-te hosted Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei at a banquet on Wednesday. Lai gave his guest a framed art piece featuring 12 precious beads of the Paiwan tribe. In return, Giammattei presented Lai with a Mayan jade mask and gave a nod to his presidential campaign. Alejandro Giammattei Guatemalan president Vice President Lai, we hope that you’ll put this jade mask in your office, so that it can accompany you in your daily work. Next year, it might even find its way into the office currently occupied by President Tsai. With the clock ticking down to 2024, Lai’s campaign network is taking shape. On June 25, he’ll open a campaign office in New Taipei, taking aim at Mayor Hou Yu-ih, his potential election rival. New Taipei is also Lai’s hometown, as well as Taiwan’s most populous administrative district. According to an April poll conducted by Z. media, support for Lai in New Taipei stands at 37.5%, surpassing Hou’s 24.3%. But DPP Secretary-General Hsu Li-ming predicts that, as the KMT gets closer to announcing its candidate, the campaign will shift from foreign affairs to domestic issues. The DPP must be ready, he said. Kuo Kuo-wen DPP lawmaker The ruling party could lose points after that shift, or it could gain points. In other words, if it had handled domestic issues well, it might not lose any points in the campaign battle. Of course, if the party finds itself in a defensive position, then of course the battle would be more challenging. The DPP is taking a steady approach to its 2024 campaign. According to Taiwan scholar Yoshiyuki Ogasawara, Lai has seized the advantage as the KMT dithers over Terry Gou and Mayor Hou. But once a KMT candidate is finalized, he said, support for the opposition party will increase, and the race could be a close one. Kuo Kuo-wen DPP lawmaker This is a period of chaos and uncertainty. The more chaotic and unclear the situation, the more divided the KMT will become, and internal strife will inevitably escalate. Watching the infighting from afar, the lawmaker says that the more divided the KMT, the better the outcome for Lai.