Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday suggested that the party could “recruit” Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to join the party’s presidential primary.
The party’s plan to recruit Han would be a “fair” mechanism without hurting the party or Han, Wu said in a radio interview, but added that it would not do so if Han clearly refuses to join.
Asked how the party would decide on its nominee among many candidates, he said that the KMT prefers to conduct public opinion polls, instead of just among its members.
Photo: CNA
KMT headquarters on Wednesday granted a membership certificate to Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海集團) chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) for lending the party NT$45 million (US$1.46 million at the current exchange rate) in 2016 without interest, Wu said, negating allegations that the move was aimed at helping Gou resolve his questionable membership so that he could take part in the primary.
After Gou received the certificate on Wednesday, he announced that he would participate in the party’s primary, saying that he would not accept being drafted to run.
He said that if he wins, he would stand as the KMT’s presidential candidate, and that if he loses, he would support whoever is selected.
Gou did not inform the party before announcing his decision to join the primary, Wu said yesterday, denying rumors that he and former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) plotted for Gou’s participation to hinder Han.
Wu reaffirmed his objectivity, saying that he has decided not to contest the primary and that he would meet with Han, Gou and the other hopefuls — former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), KMT Legislator Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and former Taipei County commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) — to discuss the primary’s rules.
Referring to Wu’s remarks on recruiting Han, Chu said that the party’s primary plan “has changed from a romance film to an action movie to a science-fiction movie.”
He urged KMT headquarters to “provide a clear mechanism for the primary” to avoid losing supporters.
Wang also demanded a clearly defined primary mechanism, saying that it would allow candidates to feel secure in launching election campaigns.
Despite playing a role in helping Han win the mayoral election in November last year, Wang said that he would respect Han’s decision if he decides to enter the primary.
Gou yesterday said on Facebook that he anticipates a fair, just and open competition for the party’s nomination, adding that he would prove himself the best candidate during the primary.
Meanwhile, Han said that as mayor, his priority is to care about Kaohsiung’s residents and boost its economic development.
Additional reporting by Lin Hsin-han, Huang Chia-lin, Wang Jung-hsiang and Cho Yi-chun
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
RSS