Nantou County Commissioner Lin Tsung-nan (
Lin's decision means the DPP's nominee for Nantou County Commissioner, Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (
Lin, who was a member of the DPP's Central Standing Committee, has not attended the committee's weekly meeting since he was defeated by Tsai in the party's primary at the end of June.
PHOTO: WANG MING-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
He showed up at the Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday, but only signed "bye-bye" on the attendance book and then waved farewell to other committee members and party workers who attended the meeting.
Lin was angry that the DPP did not select him as the "natural candidate" for the year-end election, instead nominating Tsai.
Although DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (
In announcing that he was quitting the DPP, Lin said it was a pity he had to leave the party he has been devoted to for nearly 20 years, but added he has to carry out promises made to the residents of Nantou County and meet the expectations the more than 100,000 people who endorsed his re-election. Because of this, he decided to run as an independent candidate.
"When the time has come to cut the revolutionary emotion, I won't choose to stay," Lin said.
Lin declined to comment on Tsai, but urged voters to scrutinize his background and deeds before voting.
"I'm confident that I will win and I believe Nantou County residents have witnessed my efforts," Lin said.
Lin also said that the DPP's primary system needs to be improved as it does not accurately reflect voters' opinions.
Meanwhile Tsai said yesterday that he was not worried by Lin's decision, since DPP supporters know clearly who they should vote for and will not waste their votes on candidate that does not stand for the party.
"In our survey, most of Lin's supporters are from the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT], which doesn't overlap with my voters. Moreover, I have my own campaign plans and pace and I don't think Lin's participation will impact my campaign," Tsai said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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