Pundits have predicted possible infighting within the pan-blue camp in the run-up to next year’s legislative elections after news recently surfaced that the People First Party (PFP) rejected a proposal made by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to collaborate in the nomination of candidates.
The PFP is a KMT splinter group that formed after the 2000 presidential election.
The first batch of legislative candidates announced by the PFP earlier this month includes PFP Deputy Secretary-General Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄), who plans to run in Keelung, and Taipei City Councilor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊), who is eyeing Taipei’s Nangang/Neihu (南港/內湖) constituency.
In New Taipei City, candidates announced by the PFP include former KMT lawmaker Chang Sho-wen (張碩文), who is to run for a legislative seat in the Sanchong District (三重), and media personality Hector Kang (康仁俊) running in the Banciao District (板橋).
Former legislator Chen Chao-jung (陳朝容) was also on the list, set to compete in Changhua County’s third constituency, the PFP said.
The announcement of the candidates means that the PFP and the KMT will directly compete with each other in Nangang/Neihu, Banciao and Keelung.
A source close to the pan-blue camp said that Nangang/Neihu and Keelung were the focus of negotiations initiated by the KMT, but the PFP never agreed to a proposal that candidates be selected after comparing their approval ratings in surveys.
In addition, a litany of criticism PFP members have hurled at President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and the KMT demonstrated that the proposed collaboration lacked any rationale, the source said.
The nomination of Chang, Kang and Chen was an obvious gesture by the PFP to challenge the KMT, sources said, adding that despite the PFP’s chances of winning in the three constituencies are not very high, the KMT would have to mobilize support to outmaneuver the PFP’s candidates.
The KMT said that it would consider pitting Taipei City Councilor Lee Yan-hsiu (李彥秀) against Huang, and that it might bypass a primary to nominate KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), the former mayor of Taipei, to run in Keelung.
When asked to comment on his possible opponent on Thursday, Liu said that Hau, having served two terms as Taipei mayor, should be running for president instead.
Meanwhile, Hualien County Commissioner Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁), an independent, has reportedly reached an agreement with the KMT to nominate Legislator Wang Ting-son (王廷升) instead of his protege, Hualien Deputy Commissioner Hsu Hsiang-ming (徐祥明), after Wang beat Hsu in polls.
Wang is to compete against Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) in the constituency.
However, KMT supporters said it was unclear what kind of relationship Fu has with the PFP and that the party should be wary of possible variables Fu might add to the legislative race.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS