Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
A report in yesterday's Chinese-language United Daily News said that Wang has been scheming to have Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), a five-term KMT lawmaker, pair up with him to run for legislative speaker and vice speaker in the next legislature, to be sworn in next February.
The report said that Wang had attempted to arrange for the president to name People First Party Legislator Chung Jung-chi (鍾榮吉), who plans to seek re-election as the legislature's vice speaker, as a candidate for vice president of the Control Yuan.
This would then ensure a Wang-Tseng ticket.
"There is no such thing. It is the figment of someone's imagination. Everything hinges on the decision of the party," Wang said when approached by the press for comment.
Tseng refused to comment on the report, and would neither confirm nor deny that he would run for vice speaker.
Wang is expected to seek re-election as speaker after he turned down an invitation from KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) to be his running mate.
It is not yet clear whether Wang, who has already given up the chance to vie for a constituency seat in January's legislative election, will be named as a candidate in the KMT's legislator-at-large line-up.
This is scheduled to be decided in October at the latest.
Wu Den-yih is generally seen as the main challenger to Wang, especially after Wu Den-yih's deputy Liao Feng-de (廖風德) publicly rebutted Wang's remarks that KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) had invited him to run for speaker.
When asked for comment, KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin (
"The KMT has been cooperating closely with Wang. The party is also grateful for Wang's support and help. Therefore, [the speculation] is merely hearsay," he said.
"In the face of a united Democratic Progressive Party, the KMT will pull together," he said.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
RSS