People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), the PFP’s presidential candidate, yesterday criticized the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and warned pan-blue supporters of the KMT that they were only digging its grave.
Soong was responding to comments by Broadcasting Corp of China president Jaw Shaw-kang (趙少康), who on Thursday at a rally on Taipei’s Ketagalan Boulevard for Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the KMT’s presidential candidate, told the crowd that “to vote for Soong is to vote for [President] Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).”
Tsai, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is seeking re-election in today’s election.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Soong on Thursday night on Facebook said that as the KMT is saying that voting for him is to vote for Tsai and the DPP is saying that “to vote for Soong is to vote for Han,” their messaging indicates that he is the best choice outside of the two largest parties.
Taiwanese have waited two decades to be able to vote for a candidate who is both wise and capable, he added.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Soong said that in 2000, Jaw created phony polls to trigger the “dump-save” effect, which persuaded pan-blue supporters to not vote for him, then an independent candidate, but rather for former vice president Lien Chan (連戰), who was then the KMT’s candidate.
Pan-blue camp supporters should vote for someone who can truly champion the Three Principles of the People (三民主義) to uphold the ideals of Republic of China founder Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) and embody former president Chiang Ching-kuo’s (蔣經國) willingness to work for the people, Soong said.
“Any effort to manipulate voter choice would only benefit me” due to the weakness of the KMT’s candidate and because changes to the economy and industry require an experienced hand to guide the nation in the right direction, he said.
Soong pointed out that Han took a seat for a few minutes during the televised presidential debate, but he, at 70 years old, did not budge an inch throughout the event.
It is evident who is more experienced and better off constitutionally, Soong said, adding that it would make no sense if people voted for an inferior choice when they have a better candidate.
The DPP talks about sovereignty, Soong said, but added that sovereignty should mean that people are the masters and that Taiwan’s sovereignty is in the hands of the people, and other nations should not be allowed to interfere.
After canvassing for votes in motorcades in the morning, Soong last night held a campaign in front of the PFP’s campaign headquarters in Taipei, where he shared the stage with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘).
Gou called the crowd to give their party votes to the PFP and the Taiwan People’s Party, and prevent the DPP from retaining its legislative majority.
The PFP said that nearly 5,000 people attended the rally.
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