Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials yesterday acknowledged that concern was growing among KMT supporters about President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) chances of re-election.
Presidential national policy adviser Chen Ting-yun (陳釘雲) said he has heard of such worries among KMT supporters, adding that the controversy over Ma’s recent proposals of a cross-strait peace accord and small raises in monthly subsidies for elderly farmers is seen as harmful to Ma’s electoral outlook.
He was referring to Ma’s controversial proposal last month that his government would “cautiously consider” whether the nation should sign a peace agreement with China within the next decade, and the Cabinet’s proposed small increase in the monthly subsidies for elderly farmers from NT$6,000 to NT$6,316.
Despite Chen’s estimates last month that Ma would be able to lead Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) by 300,000 to 500,000 votes in the election, Chen yesterday said that if nothing was done to contain the damage over the subsidy and cross-strait peace agreement issues, “it is going to go bad for Ma.”
Other KMT officials said that Ma’s proposed cross-strait peace accord has caused a backlash on Ma’s campaign efforts, adding that some pan-blue supporters who are pro-localization have said that they could not accept Ma’s proposal.
The rashness of his proposal has some KMT supporters worried that Taiwan would hold political negotiations with China too soon, several party officials said, adding that the rashness of the proposal was also directly to blame for Ma backtracking on his statements.
Chen said that in the past, the farmland irrigation associations usually backed the KMT, but seeing as there was a support group for Tsai founded by the Chia-Nan Water Resources Association last month, the DPP have started to compete with the KMT for the support of the sector.
The elderly farmers’ subsidy issue further shook the confidence of the sector in the KMT, Chen said, adding that these are all changing factors that must be closely watched.
KMT honorary chairman Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄) has also recently made public warnings that Ma’s re-election campaign is “getting tight,” with the DPP closing the gap between Tsai and Ma.
Tsai’s campaign tour along Provincial Highway No. 1 last month and the “three little pigs” campaign have all contributed to soaring support and passion for the DPP, KMT officials said.
Translated by Jake Chung
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS