Re-elected New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu has been sworn in. He is now the only Kuomintang (KMT) politician serving as mayor in any of Taiwan’s six special municipalities. He is also set to become chairman of the KMT next month after President Ma Ying-jeou resigned as party leader following the KMT’s heavy electoral defeat in the November local elections.
During the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, Chu said he was thankful for being given another chance to serve the most populous city in Taiwan. He said that over the past four years, his administration has pushed for public transportation projects and childcare centers. He also said that in his second term, he will focus on social housing to ease the problem of soaring housing prices.