Lai warns of China election interference; Cheng urges supporters to vote

Taipei, Oct. 28 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) warned Wednesday against possible Chinese interference in Taiwan's upcoming local elections, while opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) urged supporters to turn out to vote as the campaign entered its final month.

Lai, who also chairs the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), told the party's Central Standing Committee that with the Nov. 28 local elections approaching, the public should remain vigilant against China's cognitive warfare and attempts to influence the vote through organized criminal groups or local collaborators, according to DPP spokesperson Wu Cheng (吳崢).

Wu quoted Lai as saying Beijing's election interference has evolved beyond traditional propaganda to include artificial intelligence, cross-border repression and coordinated online campaigns aimed at spreading disinformation, deepening social divisions and eroding public trust in Taiwan's democratic institutions.

Lai urged DPP officials and candidates not to be overly optimistic about the party's electoral prospects and to counter false information through fact-checking and rational communication with voters.

He also called on people working or studying away from home to return to vote, noting that bookings for Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railway return tickets will open on Oct. 30.

Meanwhile, Cheng said the Taipei mayoral race has entered a "close combat" stage, with different opinion polls showing the KMT and DPP candidates alternating in the lead.

She said the campaign headquarters opening for incumbent Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) on Oct. 26 boosted party morale, but warned KMT members against complacency and said turnout would be critical to the election.

Calling on supporters to return to their registered residences to vote on Nov. 28, Cheng said DPP supporters traditionally have stronger voting habits, while KMT supporters are less consistent, making mobilization especially important.

She also announced that the KMT will establish a nationwide election monitoring system, with assistance from the Huang Fu-hsing (黃復興) faction of military veterans and their dependents, to observe polling and vote counting.

She said the party hopes to prevent any possibility of election fraud and thanked volunteers willing to assist the monitoring effort.

Cheng described the election as an "asymmetric war" and an "unfair" contest, alleging that the DPP has fully mobilized the machinery of the state.

KMT Culture and Communications Committee Director Chen Yi-hsin (陳以信) said the party aims to recruit two to three volunteers for each of Taiwan's 18,244 polling stations and will hold more than 200 training sessions before election day.

A crisis response center will also be established to coordinate monitoring efforts, particularly in DPP-governed Kaohsiung, Tainan, Chiayi, Pingtung and Penghu, he added.

Taiwan's Nov. 28 "nine-in-one" local elections will fill 11,051 posts, including city mayors, county magistrates, councilors, township chiefs and other local elected positions.