Six members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have now registered as candidates in the party's primary for the Kaohsiung mayoral election after KMT Legislator Lee Fu-hsing (李復興) submitted his application yesterday.
The others who applied over the past four days are former Kaohsiung City Council speaker Huang Chi-chuan (黃啟川), legislators Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順), Lwo Shih-hsiung (羅世雄) and Lee Chuan-chiao (李全教), and former legislator Su Ying-kuei (蘇盈貴).
The six candidates have each paid a NT$1 million (US$31,000) deposit and provided documents to prove that their candidacy is supported by at least 2,097 KMT members.
Six other KMT members have also declared an intention to run but have not turned in application forms. They include former Kaohsiung deputy mayor Huang Jun-ying (黃俊英), former legislator Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生), former Penghu County commissioner Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉) and Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅).
Registration for the May 27 party primary ends today.
According to the KMT's regulations, the party's nominations for elections are decided by candidates' public and party support. Support from other KMT members accounts for 30 percent, while support by voters as reflected in opinion polls accounts for the other 70 percent.
The KMT's primary for its Kaohsiung candidate will take place the same day as it's primary for the Taipei mayoral election.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is scheduled to hold its primary election on May 28 to choose its nominee for Kaohsiung mayor.
The DPP's Kaohsiung mayoral primary will be a battle between two women -- former Council of Labor Affairs chairwoman Chen Chu (
Kuan has urged Chen to withdraw from the race, citing a poor record as the nation's highest labor official, which resulted in her having to resign.
Chen's supporters have said that Kuan should finish her term as a legislator instead of trying to switch gears and become Kaohsiung mayor.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with