Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate and Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) unexpected absence from the swearing-in ceremony of a newly appointed KMT legislator-at-large presided over by Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday has renewed speculation about their mutual grudges over next year’s presidential election.
The swearing-in ceremony of Tamkang University Graduate Institute of the Americas associate professor Mignonne Chan (詹滿容) as the successor to former KMT legislator-at-large Chi Kuo-tung (紀國棟) was scheduled to be held at 11am yesterday.
Chi was among the five KMT members who were stripped of their membership on Wednesday last week due to alleged dissent with the party line.
However, Wang started the event seven minutes earlier than scheduled, while Hung, who was supposed to attend the ceremony, was not present.
The “coincidence” has further fueled rumors that the relationship between Wang and Hung has run aground over their supposed competition for the party’s presidential candidacy.
Hung reportedly unsettled Wang, who has been speaker for longer than anyone else, with her recent comment that the only way for him to remain in the legislature after next year’s election would be for Wang to run for legislator in a district.
Wang, who has hinted at his plans for January’s presidential election on several occasions, recently declined Hung’s offer to serve as her campaign director.
When asked for comment yesterday over allegations that he and Hung are giving each other the cold shoulder, Wang said he has never attempted to avoid Hung.
Wang said that he even congratulated her on the sidelines of the party’s congress in Taipei on Sunday, at which she was officially nominated by the KMT as its presidential candidate.
He added that he also met with KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) for half an hour on that day to discuss the approaching election.
Regarding yesterday’s ceremony, Wang said he started the event early because most of Chan’s relatives and guests had arrived, while he had not paid attention to who was absent.
“Even if I had contacted Hung prior to beginning the ceremony, she would still not have made it in time due to the distance between the party’s headquarters and the Legislative Yuan,” Wang said.
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