The names of seven pan-blue legislative candidates from the New Party running under the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) banner in December's elections were announced yesterday.
While the seven will be running as KMT candidates, the New Party said that it would also be nominating an eighth person to run for a seat under its own banner.
The majority of New Party candidates would run for the KMT to increase the latter party's chances of winning more legislator-at-large seats, New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (
Each party is awarded legislator-at-large seats based on the proportion of the national vote for that party.
By adding candidates to the KMT roster, the New Party will pass on its share of the proportional vote to the KMT.
Not dependent on the KMT
But the New Party would not rely on KMT campaign funds or other support, Yok said.
He said that the New Party is a separate entity from the KMT and that it was seeking to maintain a presence in the legislature by having one member run under the New Party banner.
That candidate will be from a small voting district and be sure to win, Yok said, leading observers to assume the candidate will be New Party Legislator Wu Cheng-tien (
Wu, who represents Kinmen County, is the New Party's sole legislator.
Article 33 of the Legislative Yuan Organic Law (
Yok also said that a merger of the three pan-blue parties was inevitable.
KMT pleased
The response from the KMT was positive, with KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (
List of nominees
The eight New Party members who will be running for the legislature are Taipei City Councilor Alex Fei (
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