The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) military veteran branch yesterday met to discuss campaign strategies for the Nov. 27 special municipality elections, calling for pan-blue unity amid a wave of criticism by People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).
The KMT’s Huang Fuxing branch, established in 1956 by former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) to attract the support of veterans, plays a crucial role in election campaigns with more than 200,000 members.
Attending the meeting yesterday, former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) said the KMT and its pan-blue allies, including the PFP and the New Party, should work together to win the elections.
“We should be united in the interests of the nation, and not let personal grudges get in the way,” he said at KMT headquarters.
Hau, father of Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), made the comments in response remarks Soong recently made about the KMT.
Soong has openly endorsed Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興), who is running as an independent in the Greater Kaohsiung mayoral election after withdrawing from the Democratic Progressive Party, and also accused KMT Secretary--General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) of making poor decisions for the party. He has also complained about the KMT’s failure to invite him to participate in campaign activities.
KMT Spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) said the KMT will focus its current efforts on campaigning for party candidates, declining to confirm whether or not the party would invite Soong to campaign activities.
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