Former Taiwanese Vice President Lien Chan (click here)
FILE -- In this file photo taken on May 1, 2005, former Taiwanese Vice President Lien Chan, left, and Lien Sheng-wen, his elder son, right, along with other family members, unseen, pose for photos at the grave site of Lien Chan's grandmother, Madam Shen in Xia'an, western China. Lien Sheng-wen was shot in the head and critically wounded while speaking Friday, Nov. 26, 2010, at a campaign rally in suburban Taipei, local media have reported.
(AP Photo/Song Hongmei, File)TAIPEI, Taiwan – (click title to entry - thank you) A gunman opened fire on a campaign rally on the eve of key local elections in Taiwan on Friday, killing one man and critically wounding the son of a former vice president. A suspect is in custody and may belong to a gang.
Police said the men were hit when the assailant rushed the stage at an elementary school in the gritty town of Yung Ho, on the outskirts of the capital. A candidate for city council was apparently the intended target.
Hospital officials said that though he was shot in the face and temple, Lien Sheng-wen's life was not in danger. He is the son of former Vice President Lien Chan and a politician in his own right.
Such acts of violence are unusual in election campaigns in Taiwan, which began a gradual transition from one-party dictatorship to fully functioning democracy in the late 1980s. Violence carried out by Taiwan's gangs is also limited, though the gangs themselves exercise considerable political influence, particularly on Taiwanese county governments....
There may be a real reason to question the election outcomes. If anyone dares.
Taiwan pro-China party holds edge in mayoral races (click here)
TAIPEI | TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's China-friendly ruling party held onto most of the island's mayoral posts up for grabs in tense elections Saturday seen as a test of the party's popularity ahead of the 2012 presidential race.
Wins in three of five mayoral seats gave the Nationalist Party, or KMT, a clear shot at retaining the presidency, which will calm Beijing as it has worked closely with the party on landmark trade deals after decades of political hostilities....
All this and North Korea's aggressive stance is a concern. China needs to be more of a 'Big Brother' to the benevolence of its allies.
Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei mayor candidate Hau Lung-bin (5th L) and his wife Kao Lung-sen celebrate winning at campaign headquarters in Taipei November 27, 2010. Taiwan's China -friendly ruling party held onto mayoral posts in three of five major cities after elections on Saturday, setting the stage for the 2012 presidential race and likely bolstering financial markets.
