Taipei Times
Date: Sep 20, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

Former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday encouraged anyone willing to serve Taipei residents to run in the 2018 municipal elections, after former Control Yuan member Ger Yeong-kuang (葛永光) became the first person to say he would run for mayor.

Ger, a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member and professor at National Taiwan University, announced his bid on Sunday in Los Angeles.

“Professor Ger and I go way back. Before he had the idea [of running for mayor], he discussed the matter with me. Of course I strongly encourage every outstanding talent willing to be at the service of Taipei [to run for mayor],” Hau said in a statement.

Hau, who was mayor from 2006 to 2014, said he believed it was good for a potential candidate to prepare early for an election so they can familiarize themselves with city affairs and give voters time to get to know them.
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The position of mayor is extremely important and candidates should not rely on intensive media coverage in the last few months of a campaign for publicity, he said.     [FULL  STORY]