Independent presidential candidate James Soong (
Chung, who is of Hakka heritage, on Thursday announced his decision to resign his post and withdraw from the KMT.
Soong said he understood that Chung's remarks in his resignation statement reflected what was on many voters' minds.
In a written resignation statement, Chung said the KMT was "casting right and wrong aside" and characterized the presidential election as "just a prolonged battlefield in the KMT's internal power struggle.''
Soong echoed Chung's remarks by saying that some high-ranking KMT officials had cut themselves off from grassroots opinions.
"I have come to understand that the KMT is not only facing difficult challenges now, but that there is also a huge gap between top party officials and local communities,'' Soong said.
Using the issue of the preservation of Hakka culture as an example, Soong said that the KMT only speaks of the issue "reluctantly" and then only when election time approaches.
Soong said that while he did not have a chance to meet with Chung yesterday, he looks forward to working with him in the future.
Soong campaign officials said that if Chung joins their camp, they believe that Chung, Miaoli County Magistrate Fu Hsueh-peng (
According to government statistics, Hakkas account for around 12 percent of the 15 million eligible voters nationwide.
In related news, Soong visited several earthquake-stricken areas of Nantou County yesterday, where heavy rains have caused landslides and flooding.
He donated NT$100,000 to help local irrigation workers in Nantou County prepare for future rainstorms and proposed setting up a Cabinet-level special committee to handle recent storm-related problems and coordinate government functions.
"Although at the moment I don't have any official title and therefore cannot do very much to help in the relief efforts, I promise you I will offer you better treatment in the future,'' Soong said to those who have suffered from the recent storms.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
RSS