US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4024

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
DEPT FOR EAP/TC 
 
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, TW, Domestic Politics 
SUBJECT:  Survey Shows Local DPP Administrations Receive 
Lower Approval Ratings 
 
Ref:  TAIPEI 
 
1.  "The Commonwealth" magazine published in its latest 
issue the results of a performance survey of Taiwan's 25 
city mayors and county magistrates.  The survey found that 
ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mayors and 
magistrates received overall lower performance ratings than 
did opposition Pan-Blue mayors and magistrates.  The survey, 
conducted Aug. 6 - Sept. 7, interviewed 12,225 respondents 
from the 25 cities and counties by telephone on a random 
basis.  The polling questions included economic 
competitiveness, administrative effectiveness, social order, 
education and culture, and environmental sanitation. 
 
2.  According to the survey, the top five magistrates and 
mayors are those from Penghu County, Hsinchu County, Taoyuan 
County, Taipei City and Hsinchu City, while the lowest five 
are from Kaohsiung City, Keelung City, Nantou County, Yunlin 
County, Taipei County and Pingtung County. 
 
3.  Three of the lowest five are serving on an acting basis 
in DPP-ruled counties.  Former Acting Kaohsiung Mayor Chen 
Chi-mai, who stepped down to take political responsibility 
for the rioting of Thai laborers working on the construction 
of the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System, was rated 
twentieth for his overall performance.  By comparison, 
Chen's predecessor, Frank Hsieh, who was appointed Prime 
Minister in January 2005 because of his good performance in 
Kaohsiung, received a third place ranking in last year's 
survey.  Acting Taipei County Magistrate Lin Hsi-yao and 
Acting Pingtung County Magistrate Wu Ying-wen were rated 
twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth respectively whereas their 
predecessors Su Tseng-chang, now DPP Chairman, and Su Chia- 
chuan, now Minister of Interior were rated tenth and the 
sixteenth respectively in the last survey. 
 
4.  Commonwealth magazine attributed the drastic change in 
rankings of DPP acting mayors and magistrates to low 
popularity since their charisma is far less than the people 
they replaced, who were elected based on high profile 
campaigns.  Soochow University Professor Emile Sheng (Chi- 
jen) pointed out that he believes the survey shows how 
disappointed voters are with the appointed magistrates 
because voters' trust for the government, which comes from a 
four-year election contract, was destroyed when new 
magistrates began serving on an "acting" basis. 
 
5.  Commonwealth also noted that although Taoyuan County and 
Kaohsiung County were the two counties that suffered most 
serious flood disasters during the typhoon season, their two 
magistrates were rated third and the sixth for their overall 
performance.  The magazine report indicated that leaders who 
do a good job of crisis management tend to get higher 
approval ratings.  For example, Hsinchu County Magistrate 
Cheng Shui-chin, who managed to evacuate local residents 
living in flood-affected areas in a timely manner, was rated 
first. 
 
6.  Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Lo Chi-ming from 
Kaohsiung City urged that the new Acting Kaohsiing Mayor Yeh 
Chu-lan take these survey results as a lesson learned 
instead of an embarrassing gift during her first days in 
office.  Lo criticized the DPP administration's practice of 
promoting elected mayors and magistrates to the cabinet 
after serving only their first two years in office.  Lo 
pointed out that Kaohsiung City has had two acting mayors 
since Frank Hsieh was appointed as Premier eight months ago. 
 
7. In response to the survey result, Acting Kaohsiung Mayor 
Yeh Chu-lan, who assumed her duties on September 26, 2005, 
admitted that the KRTC scandal has lessened voters' 
confidence for the current city administration to some 
extent.  Yeh, on her first day in office, announced five new 
initiatives:  setting up a KMRT inspection team, developing 
Kaohsiung into a waterfront garden city, preparing for the 
2009 World Games, building a safe and peaceful city and 
promoting tourism industry.  Yeh hopes to regain Kaohsiung 
citizens' confidence for the city administration as well as 
for DPP presence in southern Taiwan. 
 
8.  A September 27 "China Times" poll of 805 Taiwan voters 
island-wide found 47 percent of respondents dissatisfied 
with President Chen Shui-bian's performance, compared with 
38 percent satisfied, Chen's lowest performance evaluation 
since his second inaugurated in May 2004.  Asked if they 
were satisfied with the DPP's performance, 42 percent said 
no, and 36 percent yes.  The KMT's approval rating remained 
at 40 percent, with 36 percent giving negative replies. 
 
Thiele 
 
 
Keegan