A local official in Taitung has stepped down from his central government post to campaign full-time for township mayor, a neutral development in Taiwan's run-up to local elections.

• Hsu Wen-hsien has left his job as deputy head of the Executive Yuan's eastern Taiwan service center.
• He is running for mayor of Beinan township in Taitung county, a post he held for eight years.
• He said he quit rather than draw a public salary while campaigning, calling it a clean break.
• He is pitching his three years in central government as a way to bring money, policy and contacts back to the township.

Outlook: Expect him to spend the coming months touring Beinan's villages as Taiwan's local election campaigns heat up.