Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday apologized for making the “reluctant, but necessary decision” to oust Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) as the party’s presidential candidate at a special party congress scheduled for Saturday.
“As chairman of the KMT, I cannot shift the blame for the party’s ongoing turmoil and dismal election campaign prospects to others. It is due to a lack of effort and communication on my part,” Chu, who is also New Taipei City mayor, said on the sidelines of a New Taipei City council meeting in the morning.
Chu apologized to his KMT comrades, before expressing his “sincerest apology” to Hung for what has happened and the KMT’s decision.
Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei Times
A formal apology, along with a detailed explanation of the whole issue, is to be issued after today’s regular weekly meeting of the KMT’s Central Standing Committee and again after the party congress on Saturday afternoon, Chu said.
Chu’s comments came after Hung’s adamant refusal to quit the race, despite repeated calls from Chu and other party members for her to consider the “bigger picture.”
They also came after Hung on Monday night in a Facebook post questioned the rationale behind the KMT leadership’s criticism of her cross-strait policies — which she said advocate separate governance instead of division across the Taiwan Strait — for straying from the KMT’s stance and mainstream public opinion.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“I am accused of deviating from mainstream public opinion simply because I told the truth. Is this really the case?” Hung wrote.
Asked whether Saturday’s congress would create solidarity or further division, Chu said that while unity does not necessarily translate into victory, a divided party almost always leads to failure.
“Various opinions have been voiced from within the party, which is why we intend to reach a consensus through the upcoming congress that is aimed at ‘forging consensuses and securing victory through party solidarity,’” Chu said.
He shrugged off reporters’ questions about whether he is going to replace Hung as candidate, with KMT Vice Chairperson Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠), a former Chiayi mayor, as his running mate.
“This is a hypothetical question. I will respect any decisions reached by the KMT’s representatives on Saturday as long as they are conducive to achieving consensuses and party unity,” Chu said.
When asked for comment about Chu’s apology, Hung — speaking on the sidelines of an afternoon legislative session — said whether an apology is made is not as important as conforming to the party’s internal democratic system.
She previously criticized the KMT headquarters’ decision to put her nomination to a vote at a special congress as detrimental to the KMT’s primary system.
Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that who the KMT nominates as its presidential candidate is not people’s main concern, because Taiwanese care more about having a different political party take the helm next year.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft