Taipei, Nov. 26 (CNA) Both candidates bidding for the mayoral seat of the central city of Taichung called for voter support in their final rallies Friday night ahead of Taiwan's special municipality elections Saturday.
Incumbent Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) , who saw a comfortable lead of his re-election bid dwindle toward the end, appealed to supporters to go out and vote in the poll.
The rally was cut short, however, when news broke that a fellow KMT politician was shot at a similar gathering in northern Taiwan's Taipei County.
Hu called for supporters to pray for Sean Lien, the eldest son of former Vice President Lien Chan, and ended the rally well before the 10PM deadline.
President Ma Ying-jeou, who doubles as KMT Chairman, appeared earlier at the KMT rally and offered his support and endorsement for Hu, who said Friday that he had the confidence to win but would never underestimate his rival.
His only opponent, Su Jia-chyuan, candidate of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) , told supporters that he was close to unseating Hu, who has been mayor since 2001, for a victory that could shape a better new Taichung City, a merger of the current Taichung City and Taichung County.
The DPP candidate has made headway since he threw his hat into the ring in May, when Hu was expected to defeat any DPP nominee in a landslide.
Su made the most of Friday, campaigning in Fengyuan, the largest city in Taichung County, before heading back to Taichung City for the final rally, where he pledged that he would "take care of the poor and always seek justice" if elected.
With a population of 2.6 million, the expanded Taichung City will be a merger of Taichung City and Taichung County, both of which have been held by the KMT since 1989, except for 1997-2001.
Hu, a popular former foreign minister known for his wit and quick reflex, has relentlessly pushed for upgrading and expansion of Taichung City.
He has also worked hard to secure support from major political factions in Taichung County to give him solid backing throughout the expanded constituency.
The DPP's Su, a two-term magistrate in the rural county of Pingtung in southern Taiwan and a former minister of agriculture, appealed to supporters with a campaign theme of "change, " which is similar to the slogan American President Barack Obama used in his 2008 presidential campaign.
Su has pushed his candidacy hard in Taichung County, where agricultural issues are important, hoping to use it to upset Hu's advantage in the city. (By Chris Wang) enditem/jc