Cooperation between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP) increased yesterday as the chairmen of the two parties unveiled the four PFP legislator-at-large candidates nominated by the two parties and vowed to work closely together to win the elections next year.
The four PFP candidates -- Cheng Chin-ling (
"To achieve victory in the legislative and presidential elections, the KMT and the PFP must unite and closely cooperate. I have asked the candidates to join the KMT for complete KMT-PFP integration during the elections," PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) said yesterday at KMT headquarters.
PHOTO: CNA
Joining Soong in announcing KMT-PFP cooperation during the legislative election, KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said the two parties had discussed cooperation for six months, but declined to comment on any final merger of the two parties.
"We won't talk about a merger now and the KMT will not meddle in the operations of the PFP's legislative caucus during this session," Wu said.
In addition to the four legislator-at-large candidates, six legislative candidates were nominated via the KMT-PFP alliance.
Ko Shu-ming (柯淑敏), Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞), Wu Chin-chih (吳清池), Chung Shao-Ho (鍾紹和), Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁) and Daniel Hwang (黃義交) will join the KMT and register under the party, Soong said.
While he encouraged KMT-PFP cooperation for the elections, Soong nevertheless criticized the KMT for "deceiving voters" with its UN referendum bid and its recent removal of the "1992 consensus" from its mission statement.
"The Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] is fooling people with its UN referendum bid. [But] the KMT's bid to return to the UN under the name `Republic of China' [ROC] is also impossible. Isn't that deceptive as well?" Soong said.
Soong also expressed his disappointment with the KMT and its presidential candidate, Ma Ying-jeou (
"The PFP maintains that the ROC is the only option. Taiwanese independence is not an option for us. The PFP will not change its beliefs or alter its course for electoral purposes," he said.
During a visit to Europe last year, Ma said independence remained an option for Taiwan and has increasingly relied on pro-localization rhetoric to attract voters.
Soong denied he was targeting Ma with his remarks, but continued to called on the KMT not to forget its history and to stick to its political beliefs.
In response to Soong's criticism, Wu said the "1992 consensus" continued to be key a cross-strait policy in the party's Charter.
"But the KMT has to continue pushing the UN referendum bid, as it reflects the nation's difficult position in the international community," Wu said.
While the two chairmen declined to discuss the KMT-PFP merger, many expect the two parties will start preparations for a final merger after the new legislative session begins in February.
Asked for comment, PFP Legislator Shen Chin-hwei (
Shen said that even without KMT and PFP support she remained determined to run in the legislative election in the second district of Taichung City.
If Shen stands, she will be up against KMT Legislator Lu Shiow-yen (
In response, Marr said she had been included in the lineup because of her efforts to push for eco-friendly technology.
Approached by reporters, PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
BETTER SERVICE QUALITY: From Nov. 10, tickets with reserved seats would only be valid for the date, train and route specified on the ticket, THSRC said Starting on Nov. 10, high-speed rail passengers with reserved seats would be required to exchange their tickets to board an earlier train. Passengers with reserved seats on a specific train are currently allowed to board earlier trains on the same day and sit in non-reserved cars, but as this is happening increasingly often, and affecting quality of travel and ticket sales, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) announced that it would be canceling the policy on Nov. 10. It is one of several new measures launched by THSRC chairman Shih Che (史哲) to improve the quality of service, it said. The company also said
RSS