The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said it opposed the participation of party members in election campaigns for non-KMT candidates after KMT Legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) publicly endorsed Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential hopeful Hsu Hsin-liang (許信良).
“The KMT will not allow party members to participate in the election campaign activities of other parties,” KMT Secretary-General Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) said at KMT headquarters.
At a press conference on Thursday, Cheng, a former DPP member, joined several politicians and political commentators — including former DPP legislator Roger Hsieh (謝聰敏), talk show host Chen Feng-hsin (陳鳳馨) and Tsai Shih-ping (蔡詩萍), a spokesman for President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) during Ma’s -presidential campaign — in announcing their full support for Hsu.
Cheng said Hsu was a key figure in the DPP who helped revive the party’s charm and strength.
Asked about her support for the KMT’s presidential candidate, Cheng said she would struggle between Ma and Hsu if the latter won the DPP’s nomination.
Cheng’s move surprised the KMT, which issued a written statement on Thursday night opposing her endorsement of Hsu.
Liao said the KMT’s Discipline Committee would look into the matter and dole out the proper punishments. It did not confirm whether it would revoke Cheng’s party membership.
Although the KMT bars members from campaigning for candidates from other parties, Liao said the KMT would seek to cooperate with pan-blue allies —including the New Party and the People First Party (PFP) — in the legislative election.
The KMT on Wednesday completed its first round of nominations for the legislative elections, which will be held on the same day as the presidential election — most likely on Jan. 14.
Liao said the KMT would negotiate with the parties in the pan-blue camp for possible joint nominations.
When asked about the possibility of a meeting between Ma, who also doubles as the KMT chairman, and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), Liao said Soong was on a trip abroad at the moment and that the two parties would seek to reach a preliminary consensus on future cooperation before arranging a meeting between the two politicians.
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