Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chang Chia-chun (張嘉郡), who last month announced that she would not seek re-election, yesterday said that the party needed to work out a solution if it wanted her to rejoin the legislative elections next year.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) on Wednesday said that the party would continue its efforts to recruit Chang for the Jan. 16 elections by helping her “solve her family problem” — in an apparent reference to opposition by her father, former Yunlin County commissioner Chang Jung-wei (張榮味).
Chang Jung-wei last month announced that his daughter was withdrawing from the legislative polls, which Chang Chia-chun later confirmed.
The legislator said that insofar as the party understood the situation that she was in, she hoped that “Chu or [Legislative Speaker] Wang [Jin-pyng (王金平)] could work out a solution.”
Asked about Wang’s comment that her younger brother could run if she decided not to, Chang Chia-chun said her brother is well-qualified, but “we are facing the same predicament.”
“My father is a person who keeps his promises, so once he said the word withdraw [from the legislative elections], there is probably no turning back,” Chang Chia-chun told reporters in Taipei.
She nevertheless said that she is “more than willing” to continue serving her constituency in Yunlin.
When asked to clarify what predicament she was referring to, Chang Chia-chun did not respond directly, but said: “My father has so far not publicly stated which presidential candidate he wishes to support. He has his own views on politics, so I cannot answer in his stead.”
Asked whether she would run for re-election if the party changes its presidential candidate, the KMT lawmaker said it was a hypothetical question, but added that she has also heard about the possibility of changing the party’s presidential candidate.
“I am in fact really willing [to run for re-election]. If the party’s top echelons indeed care about [my return to the campaign], they should start to solve this problem,” Chang Chia-chun said.
Wang, who is on good terms with Chang Jung-wei, said that Chang Chia-chun had already announced her withdrawal, and “there has to be an ‘inflection point’ to justify her return to the race,” declining to elaborate on what that “inflection point” is.
When asked whether it was related to the KMT’s presidential candidacy, Wang said: “I do not know; you have to ask her.”
Meanwhile, in Changhua, KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) dismissed rumors that she might be replaced as the party’s candidate and said she was “thankful to [senior presidential adviser] King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) for his advice.”
King said in a radio interview on Wednesday that the pan-blue camp needs a “new variable” for the pan-blues to turn the tables and win.
“King is an expert on campaigning, and he probably said that because he saw that our poll numbers are not at their best,” Hung said.
She added that she had felt she was welcomed by residents in central and southern Taiwan.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mirror Daily reported yesterday. The report said that tugboats following the Hai Kun assisted the submarine in avoiding collisions with other ships due to the X-rudder malfunctioning. At the time of the report, the submarine had completed its trials and was scheduled to begin diving and surfacing tests in shallow areas. The X-rudder,
RSS