Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Standing Committee member Sean Lien (連勝文) said during a visit to Washington that, beginning with his great-grandfather, his family has made a great contribution to Taiwan over four generations.
Lien, widely tipped to be a candidate to represent the pan-blue camp in the year-end Taipei mayoral election, made the remarks in an apparent defense of his family background, which has often come under criticism. Lien is one of the sons of former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) and his great-grandfather Lien Heng (連橫) was a historian who wrote the General History of Taiwan (台灣通史).
The 44-year-old was in Washington for the US National Prayer Breakfast.
According to a statement issued by Sean Lien’s office in Taipei, he met Taiwan’s Representative to the US King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) after the breakfast.
Sean Lien also made appearances at two smaller gatherings organized by KMT and New Party officials.
Sean Lien said that he was currently assessing whether he should run, and would make his decision by the end of the month.
Many people in Taiwan do a lot of talking, but take little action, he said.
If he was given the opportunity, he would make reforms in the same way that former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg had changed that city, he said.
If he could do the job right, he would be able to help a lot of people and change a lot of things, he said.
Sean Lien, who was shot in the face on the eve of the previous municipal election four years ago, said that after getting shot, he and his family became afraid of politics, so he retreated from the scene. It was not until KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) asked him to make an appearance in a political rally that he, considering the help that Lai gave him in the past, reconsidered his stance.
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