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Chiang Fang Chih-yi out of year-end election race

"Aren't there many things that sometimes happen overnight?" Chiang Fang Chih-yi, Chiang Ching-kuo's daughter-in-law PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES

One day after asserting her determination to compete in the year-end legislative elections, Chiang Fang Chih-yi (蔣方智怡), daughter-in-law of late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), yesterday announced that she was withdrawing from the race.

"Out of love for the nation, the party and all supporters of the pan-blue camp, I hereby renounce my candidacy," she said at a seminar for Taipei City candidates at the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) Taipei City branch yesterday.

Both Chiang Fang and KMT Legislator John Chang (章孝嚴), Chiang Ching-kuo's son, had registered as candidates to run in the same area, Taipei City's First Constituency (Taipei City North).

Out of concern that the two would compete for support from the same voter base, the party had been trying to avoid a race between Chiang Fang and Chang in the same constituency.

Reading from a statement, Chiang Fang yesterday admitted that her support base overlaps with that of Chang.

"Chang is an experienced legislator who has performed well [in his job] ... If my participation in the race were to cause votes to be split, this is a scenario which I do not wish to see," Chiang Fang said, adding that she felt uneasy about having caused an uproar in the party and the public as a result of her decision to register in the race.

Chiang Fang quoted Chiang Ching-kuo's saying, "Sacrifice enjoyment and enjoy sacrifice (犧牲享受,享受犧牲)" to support her decision to renounce her candidacy in the legislative election.

When later pressed by the media to explain why she had changed her mind, Chiang Fang refrained from giving a clear explanation, saying only, "Aren't there many things that sometimes happen overnight?"

Chang did not attend yesterday's seminar, but expressed his gratitude upon learning of Chiang Fang's decision to withdraw from the race.

"I earnestly respect Chiang Fang's decision to do so," he said.

Chao Shu-chien (趙叔鑑), a good friend of Chiang Fang, had previously noted that she had come under a great deal of pressure from the KMT to dissuade her from running.

However, the director of the KMT's Taipei branch office, Tu Chieh-teh (杜建德), said yesterday that Chang had been the one who had been urged by the party to withdraw from the race.

"The party tried to persuade Chang to return to his original constituency in the southern constituency [Taipei City's Second Constituency] ... but Chang was adamant about running in the northern constituency," Tu said.

Meanwhile, KMT spokes-woman Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) yesterday denied reports in the Chinese-language media that KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) had reached a tacit understanding with the party's vice chairman, Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), to hand over the party chairmanship to Wang after the year-end legislative elections.

"The rumor is totally groundless," Kuo said, stressing that the KMT would abide by its party system in which the chairman is appointed by the party's members.

Kuo urged the public to stop dwelling on the issue of the KMT's leadership.
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