Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday said he would “carefully consider” the possibility of running for president and dismissed a television report claiming to have obtained a draft of a statement by Wang on a decision to run.
With New Taipei City Mayor and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) declaring his disinclination to join the presidential race and Wang retaining his KMT party membership after a court case against him concluded last week, it has been widely speculated that the speaker would soon announce his intention to seek the KMT nomination for next year’s presidential election.
Wang, after weeks of equivocal answers, said that he would seriously consider the possibility of running.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“As I have said before, I have never denied that possibility,” he said.
Regarding the “exclusive report” aired by Next TV on Tuesday night that claimed to have secured a draft copy of a declaration on his intention to join the race, Wang said he had no idea where it came from.
According to the report, Wang said in a 22-page statement to be made public on Sunday that he is “a precious national asset,” as he has more than 40 years of experience in politics and connections with Taiwanese, including his political feud with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and work during the Sunflower movement.
With his experience, Wang could solve the political impasse and push for cross-party cooperation, the report said.
Wang laughed off the “exclusive expose,” saying that if he was to announce anything, “it would not possibly end in more than five, six or seven minutes.”
Wang said that speeches he has given in the past have lasted only a few minutes, including one he made at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on his return from Malaysia in September 2013, the beginning of the “September strife,” in which Ma accused Wang of improper use of influence, and a speech he delivered at the Legislative Yuan during the Sunflower movement last year.
“Who would give such a long speech when declaring his or her intention to run?” asked Wang, adding that the next step, if there is to be one, would be simply signing up for the primary, not presidential candidacy itself.
“You could figure it out with your knees [that the 22-page declaration is a fake],” he said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
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