Taiwan’s presidential race: President Tsai against Han and Soong

The People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong finally announced that he will run again for president in the coming January 2020 elections on November 13, 2019.  Soong’s announcement ended the month-long public suspicion that Soong might launch his fourth attempt for presidency.  Four days later, President Tsai picked former Premier Lai Ching-te as her running mate for the presidential election.  Tsai-Lai will face Nationalist Chinese Party’s Han-Chang (Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu and former Premier Chang San-cheng) and PFP’s Soong-Yu (Sandra Yu is former chairwoman of an advertisement firm).   KMT’s Han picked Chang several weeks ago.   Han’s has little experience in nation-wide politics and the lack of general knowledge was regarded as his weakness.  He needs Chang to enforce his team’s policy-making.   Soong’s associates recommended him to pick a woman as his running mate to attract female voters. Sandra Yu was well-known in the advertisement industry, but most people know little about her.    Soong was not politically active for the past four years.  However to maintain PFP’s presence in the Legislative Yuan, his entering of presidential election might attract more people to vote for PFP’s candidates.  During the news conference, President Tsai cited reforms that started during Lai’s tenure as premier, such as tax reforms, subsidized preschool education, long-term care programs, and improvements in the business environment and investment climate, among others, and said these measures are now starting to bear fruit.  Lai said “I will do everything I can to help President Tsai accomplish her goals, which are to win re-election and secure a legislative majority” during his acceptance speech.   According to the recent polls, Tsai received more than 40% support, while her opponents Han only received less than 25% and Soong  was able to gain 8% support.