The Central Election Commission yesterday said that if New Taipei City Mayor Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) were to resign to run for president, he could still join the mayoral by-election if he lost the presidential vote.
Chu, who doubles as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, is widely expected to replace Deputy Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) as the party’s new presidential candidate.
Responding to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers in the legislature, CEC Chairman Liu Yi-chou (劉義周) said that the law does not forbid Chu from running in the municipal by-election if it takes place after the Jan. 16 presidential election.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The New Taipei City Election Committee last week said that a by-election would have to be held within three months after the mayor resigns.
Rumors have been circulating since last month that Chu would resign around Oct. 16 so that the mayoral by-election would be held alongside the presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 16.
However, as Chu has not made his plan public, speculation has varied about his next move: He may stay on as mayor while running as the KMT presidential candidate; resign as mayor to run for president early enough to synchronize the mayoral by-election with the presidential and legislative elections; or resign as mayor to run for president at a later date so that the by-election would have to be held after Jan. 16.
DPP lawmakers questioned the CEC about the last scenario, in which a by-election would have to be held separately due to Chu’s late resignation.
DPP Legislator Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said that Chu’s “butt is so big that he could sit as mayor, KMT chairman and presidential candidate,” and asked how much time the commission would need to hold a by-election if Chu decided to resign as mayor now.
“About two months,” said -Chuang Kuo-hsiang (莊國祥), director of the commission’s Division of Electoral Affairs.
When asked whether Chu could run as mayor if the by-election were held after the presidential and legislative elections, the CEC chairman said it is not against the law.
“The Local Government Act (地方制度法) was amended last year, which changed the wording from ‘may be re-elected once’ to ‘may be re-elected to a second term,’” which would allow that, DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said.
“It would be thick-skinned of Chu if he chooses not to resign [and run for president], but it would be shameless of him if he is to resign late and run for mayor in the by-election [if he loses the presidential election],” Lee said.
Lee asked how much it would cost to hold a separate by-election, to which Liu said about NT$160 million (US$4.89 million).
“That is exactly the amount we have to squander away,” Lee said.
Liu said the commission would want and has proposed amending the law to close the loophole, but the amendment so far has not been advanced.
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