Taipei, March 3 (CNA) The by-elections this weekend for two seats in the Legislative Yuan are seen as crucial for both the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the run-up to the next national legislative poll and the 2012 presidential election.
Southern Taiwan voters will cast ballots Saturday for legislators in the fourth districts of Tainan and Kaohsiung cities, in the first poll since the highly competitive special municipality elections last November.
The two legislative seats became vacant when William Lai was elected mayor of Tainan City and Chen Chi-yu was appointed as deputy mayor of Kaohsiung City.
With the departure of Chen and Lai, both of the DPP, their party was left with 31 of the 109 legislative seats, as opposed to the KMT's 73.
However, despite its overwhelming majority in the legislature, the KMT is not taking the by-elections lightly, particularly after its string of losses in by-elections since 2008 when President Ma Ying-jeou took office.
Addressing a rally in the DPP stronghold of Tainan last week, Ma who is also KMT chairman, urged voters to support the KMT to avoid "one-party domination" in the electoral district.
The battle in that district is between the KMT's Chen Shu-hui and former Tainan City Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair of the DPP.
In Kaohsiung, where voters also tend to favor the DPP, Ma has recruited a former DPP member Hsu Ching-huan to run against Lin Tai-hua of the DPP.
Hsu's "loyalty" will not be a problem, Ma said.
Meanwhile, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, along with other party heavyweights, has been stumping in the south, calling for a DPP "sweep of both seats."
The DPP heavyweights have described the by-elections as "a prelude to the ever important legislative election and the 2012 presidential election."
Tsai is in the spotlight in the by-elections, not only because of her position as party leader, but also because she is considered a frontrunner for her party's presidential nomination and is seen as a potentially strong challenger against Ma's re-election bid in 2012.
Regardless of who wins the by-elections, their terms will be short as all 113 seats in the legislative will be up for grabs again in a few months time.
The next legislative elections are due in December 2011 or January 2012, while the presidential poll is scheduled for March 2012. However, the Central Election Commission (CEC) is considering a proposal to combine the two elections and will make a decision by June this year.
Two other legislative seats that are currently vacant will not be filled before the next legislative elections.
They were left vacant by KMT legislator Shyu Jong-shyong, who was appointed deputy mayor of the central city of Taichung, and Lin Cheng-er, an aboriginal legislator whose seat was forfeited because of election-related bribery. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc