US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4684

UNCLAS TAIPEI 004684 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
DEPT FOR EAP/TC, INR/EAP 
 
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, TW, Foreign Policy, Domestic Politics 
SUBJECT:  Televised Debate on Tainan County Magisterial Election 
 
REF:  A)  Taipei 3916    B)  Taipei 4399 
 
1.  The Taiwan Think Tank held a televised debate for two magisterial 
candidates in Tainan County on November 19, 2005.  The debate, which 
lasted for two and half hours at National Tainan Art University, was 
broadcast live by Taiwan's Public Television System.  The two debater 
DPP candidate Su Huan-chi and KMT candidate Kuo Tien-tsai, took 
questions from a panel consisting of eighteen local residents.  Among 
the eighteen participants, five were from the pan-blue Camp, four wer 
from the pan-green and nine were without any political affiliation. 
All the men and women on the panel were between twenty and sixty year 
of age. 
 
2.  While televised candidate debates have been done before in Taiwan 
this debate, entitled "Voice of the People", differed from usual 
broadcasts.  Usually debate panels consist of academics and/or 
journalists raising questions to candidates.  The Tainan debate 
differed in that it incorporated the actual presence and participatio 
of local residents, who took turns asking questions of the debaters. 
The eighteen panel members prepared together by meeting and 
brainstorming on eight discussion topics one week before the debate 
took place.  Those discussion topics were then given to the debaters 
for preparation purposes.  The issues discussed at the debate were of 
interest to local residents, including the relocation of National 
Tainan University (reftels), agricultural development, the county 
government deficit, job opportunities, flood prevention, medical 
treatment for rural areas, teachers' retirement and children's 
education resources. 
 
3.  Both DPP and KMT candidates addressed the eight issues extensivel 
While incumbent Magistrate Su Huan-chi emphasized his administration' 
achievements in those areas of concern, his KMT opponent criticized 
Su's inadequate supervision, poor performance and DPP corruption. 
 
4.  The Taichung-based Taiwan Daily, the only print press that 
announced the televised debate, did not provide any follow-up reporti 
on viewers' reaction after the debate. 
 
 
THIELE 
 
PAAL