Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) political opponents criticized her news conference after a three-day break from her election campaign as being empty and meaningless, and for blaming others.
“Although Hung said that she has reflected on what she might have done wrong, we feel she had more thoughts on others’ wrongdoings than her own,” Democratic Progressive Party spokesperson Wang Ming-sheng (王閔生) said yesterday. “She did not reflect on the failures of the governing party, and the sufferings that such failures have brought.”
“Apparently, there is a huge difference between the understanding and expectations of society,” he added.
Wang said that although he could not understand what exactly Hung wanted to say, he still respects her.
DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who has enjoyed a comfortable lead in public opinion polls so far, said she respects Hung’s thoughts and election campaign strategy.
She also said that her own campaign would follow its set pace.
People First Party presidential candidate James Soong’s (宋楚瑜) office said it “detects no substantive changes” after Hung’s break.
The KMT is the ruling party, and if its failures can be redressed now, those changes should be carried out immediately, the office said.
New Power Party legislative candidate Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said Hung’s three-day break was a waste of time.
“Hung has been a lawmaker for more than 20 years, and has served as deputy speaker,” Huang said. “Yet she only realized something that everybody already knows: Taiwan has descended into chaos and is a mess because of politicians such as her.”
Huang said that if Hung truly wants Taiwan to be a better place, “she should have realized that Taiwan would be better off without politicians like her.”
Social Democratic Party legislative candidate Fan Yun (范雲) also slammed Hung’s “thoughts after pondering” as empty and meaningless, adding that she is disappointed by what Hung said during the news conference.
“Governing a nation is not a composition contest. Hung should seek to realize social justice,” Fan said. “For example, she should respond to her much-criticized policy proposals, such as abolishing the capital gains tax and expanding legal overtime hours.”
Additional reporting by CNA
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