By KHT Staff. Images via UDN.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) received parting gifts from both major council caucuses Sunday during his final scheduled policy questioning as mayor.
The Kuomintang caucus gave Chen a yellow backpack, saying it was the kind of bag its mayoral candidate, Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), had used while working abroad as a television host. It was intended as a joke about Chen’s stated plans to travel after leaving office at the end of the year.
Ko also wrote a card saying, “Mayor Chen, I’ll take care of Kaohsiung. It’s your turn to travel around the world,” according to the KMT caucus. The message was a lighthearted reference to her bid to succeed him.
The Democratic Progressive Party caucus presented Chen with flowers and a custom concert-style light stick. Its design incorporated references to Kaohsiung’s concert industry, TSMC’s chip investment and the Circular Light Rail.
Chen has repeatedly said he has spent most of the past several years working and hopes to travel after his term ends.
The exchanges followed a day of questioning at the Kaohsiung City Council, with the two caucuses using the final regular session of Chen’s mayoralty to offer sharply different versions of his political legacy.
