Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-02
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je spent more on his campaign than any other mayoral

Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je. (Photo/Teng Po-jen)

candidate running in last November’s local elections, according to figures released on Monday by the Control Yuan, Taiwan’s government watchdog agency.

Ko, who ran as an independent and defeated Sean Lien of the Kuomintang by about 16 percentage points, spent NT$142.3 million (US$4.6 million) on his campaign but also raised the most money — NT$139.8 million (US$4.52 million) — of any candidate.

Lien spent NT$141 million (US$4.56 million) but raised only NT$110 million (US$3.56 million), according to information he submitted to the Control Yuan, but Ko did not believe Lien, who is personally wealthy and the son of former vice president Lien Chan, spent as little as he declared. “It is impossible,” Ko said in an interview.     [FULL  STORY]