The KMT, Taiwan's largest political party, held its first party primaries yesterday to select candidates for the year-end elections, a step to further implement the party's democratic reform following its direct election for party chairman on March 24.
"Today's primaries are proof of the party's democracy," said Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) while casting his vote in the party's headquarters in Taipei yesterday morning.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Ma said that it is impossible to meet every party member's expectation to choose candidates by either party appointments or the primary, and hoped that "each candidate will respect the final outcome of the election."
The primaries took place in 395 voting stations in 12 of the nations 28 constituencies from 8am to 4pm yesterday. Candidates will be chosen in accordance with the ballots from party members and public polls taken by two companies last week. The two parts each constitute 50 percent of a candidate's overall score in the primary.
Based on the results of yesterday's primaries, the KMT will name its candidates for the year-end elections of legislators, county commissioners and provincial-level city mayors in a Central Standing Committee (中常委) meeting on Wednesday.
But some legislative candidates criticized the fact that the party had failed to finalize its nomination quota for each legislative constituency prior to the primaries, which they said will give the party leadership a chance to exert its influence over the nomination process just as it has done in the past.
Party officials responded by saying that due to diverse electoral conditions in each constituency, "the party will decide the quota according to the outcome of each primary."
Other analysts have warned that the KMT may face a split or exodus of members before the year-end elections because of the Executive Yuan's "black gold exclusion clause" (
The restrictions will present a dilemma for the KMT who will have to decide whether to field members in elections who may lose their electoral qualifications due to the clause even if they win a primary.
When asked if the party will lose some important members after the primary, Chairman Lien Chan (
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS