Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) acknowledged yesterday that he had heard about a possible exodus of People First Party (PFP) legislators to his party, but denied that the KMT had initiated the move.
Speculation began emerging on Sunday that six PFP lawmakers who are in favor of a KMT-PFP merger, including Lin Yu-fang (
Ma said he had discussed the issue during his meetings with PFP Chairman James Soong (
"The KMT has no control over PFP members. We can't prevent them from returning to the KMT ? It is about personal preference," he said yesterday.
Ma said that about 1,000 to 2,000 people join his party every day, and that the KMT will welcome any new members.
PFP caucus whip Hwang Yih-jiau (
"Selecting a party is just like choosing a mate; every person will make a decision based on their own personal considerations, and this should be respected," Huang said yesterday at the Legislative Yuan.
While giving their blessings to those who may be leaving, PFP legislators Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) and Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄), who oppose a KMT-PFP merger, yesterday urged Ma to learn from Soong's experience.
"One day when your halo begins to dim, these people will be the first to leave your side. Those who have criticized the PFP will also condemn you in the future," Liu said yesterday at the press conference.
In related news, it emerged yesterday that former independent legislator Su Ying-kuei (
Ma yesterday confirmed the news, but insisted that any new member would enjoy no privileges and should follow the party rules.
"Anyone who wants to run in the Kaohsiung mayoral election must first take part in the KMT primaries," he said.
A group of Taiwanese-American and Tibetan-American students at Harvard University on Saturday disrupted Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng’s (謝鋒) speech at the school, accusing him of being responsible for numerous human rights violations. Four students — two Taiwanese Americans and two from Tibet — held up banners inside a conference hall where Xie was delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the Harvard Kennedy School China Conference 2024. In a video clip provided by the Coalition of Students Resisting the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), Taiwanese-American Cosette Wu (吳亭樺) and Tibetan-American Tsering Yangchen are seen holding banners that together read:
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