By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is scheduled to embark upon a two-day presidential campaign trip today to the eastern counties of Hualien and Taitung.
She plans to visit the two counties straddling the Pacific Ocean with a combined coastline of more than 370km, as well as Orchid Island (蘭嶼) — also known as Lanyu — off Taiwan proper.
The highlight of Tsai’s first day will be her visit to Orchid Island, home of the Aboriginal Tao tribe and site of a nuclear waste dump, where she is expected to reiterate her platform of a “nuclear-free homeland” by 2025.
She is also expected to visit a community in Taitung’s Taimali Township (太麻里), which was rebuilt after Typhoon Morakot devastated the area in August 2009.
Also on Tsai’s itinerary are visits to several Aboriginal communities in the area, including the Katatipul, Taromak and Kalarulan.
Tsai’s motorcade is scheduled to travel through Hualien County tomorrow and arrive in Hualien City, where the opening ceremony of the DPP’s regional presidential campaign headquarters will be held in the afternoon.
Earlier this month, Tsai’s campaign took an 11-day trip up the west coast, after which the momentum of her campaign has shifted into a high gear.
A return to the Hakka-dominated constituencies of Miaoli, Hsinchu and Taoyuan is scheduled for Monday next week through Thursday after Tsai first visited those areas during her west coast swing. The extra visit aims to consolidate support among Hakka voters, who have traditionally supported the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).