Lai Ching-te kicks off campaign with 15K rally in Tucheng

NEW TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, launched his first nation-wide campaign rally today in Tucheng, New Taipei, drawing a crowd of 15,000.

Lai made a plea at the event for support for both him and the DPP in the upcoming election. 

A failure to secure more than half of the seats in the legislature, Lai warned, could put former Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu in the position of the president of the legislative yuan, hinting at the dire consequences of him possibly leading mayors and magistrates to China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO).

Tucheng in New Taipei, where the DPP's mass rally was held, is a stronghold for political rival Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih. 

Even so, the area enthusiastically played host to the thousands-strong gathering where both Lai and incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen expressed their gratitude for the public's support.

On stage, Lai thanked attendees and remarked that the candidate with the most votes, not the highest approval rating, ultimately wins an election. Also present was vice-presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim, who pledged that their team would strive to boost Taiwan's dignity on the global stage.

Lai called for voter backing of DPP's legislative candidates in New Taipei and sharpened his attacks against the KMT. At the same time, President Tsai pledged the DPP will 'continue on the right path' in her appreciation speech to New Taipei residents.