Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an came under sustained attack from city councillors over a preschool abuse scandal and the government cash handout, with critics accusing him of dodging every question — bad news for a mayor heading into an election in 100 days.

• Councillors said the city mishandled the abuse case at a Taipei preschool, arguing it should have been dealt with at the secretary-general level rather than pushed down to a deputy.
• Chiang said the city already shut the school down, punished it, and met parents repeatedly, offering counselling, legal help, and new placements.
• Councillors were unconvinced and mocked him with the nickname "Paolyta B," a jab meaning he answers question B when asked question A.
• Anger also focused on the school using Chiang's name and a thank-you letter to recruit students, which he says he never approved, and on claims staff fed children spoiled food.
• On the cash handout, opposition councillors accused him of double standards for urging the central government to hand out twice as much while his own party blocked a matching proposal; he fired back that the DPP called cash handouts a communist tactic last year.

Outlook: The clash sets the tone for Taipei's mayoral race, where Chiang still leads comfortably in polls, with candidate registration opening at the end of August ahead of the November 28 local elections.