Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman and presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday released the party’s list of legislator-at-large nominees, saying the lineup demonstrated his efforts to allow more professionals and new faces to represent the KMT.
“More than half of the so-called ‘safe seats’ on the entire list are occupied by individuals with certain expertise and capabilities. Hopefully, this effort can give more specialists and upcoming talentsthe opportunity to represent the KMT in the legislature,” Chu said on the sidelines of a forum to promote his housing policy in Taipei yesterday morning, an hour before the KMT headquarters released the list.
Dismissing critics who lambasted the list, part of which was leaked on Thursday evening, as a continuation of the party’s patronage system, Chu said he would humbly accept all criticism against the list, but his determination to usher in reforms would remain unwavering.
Photo: Wang Han-ping, Taipei Times
The process of reform would undoubtedly be difficult and might even be filled with dangers, Chu said.
“Nevertheless, please have faith in my determination in implementing reforms. Changes might not come quickly, but I will do my utmost to fulfill the goal,” Chu said.
The KMT estimates it could garner sufficient votes in the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections to secure legislative seats for the first 12 people on the list of 34.
As widely predicted, the top spot is taken by Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who has held the speakership for nearly 17 years, since February 1999.
The speaker is followed by Tamkang University dean of student affairs Ko Chih-en (柯志恩); Kaohsiung Medical University vice president Chen Yi-Ming (陳宜民); Taiwan New Immigrant Development and Exchange Association director-general Lin Li-chan (林麗蟬), who is a Cambodian immigrant spouse; TEDxTaipei cofounder Jason Hsu (許毓仁) and Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman William Tseng (曾銘宗).
Also on the “safe list” are — in order of ranking — KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順); former Taoyuan County commissioner John Wu (吳志揚); former KMT legislator Chang Li-shan (張麗善), Hualien County Commissioner Fu Kun-chi’s (傅崑萁) wife, Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚); Presidential Office Secretary-General Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) and KMT Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏).
In an apparent attempt by the KMT to reach out to the younger generation, Chu’s campaign office spokesperson Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯), a 26-year-old graduate National Chengchi University’s postgraduate program in political science, is 17th on the list.
Three members of the KMT Youth Corp also made the list: 31-year-old Lee Cheng-hao (李正皓) at No. 31, 25-year-old Lin Chia-hsing (林家興) at No. 33; and 22-year-old Hsiao Ching-yan (蕭敬嚴) at No. 34.
The nominee lineup conforms to Chu’s previously announced plan to give the safe seats on the list to three groups of people: the future choice for legislative speakership, professionals in specific fields and the KMT’s reserved talents for the 2018 mayoral and commissioner race.
The list was sent to the KMT’s Central Standing Committee for review at yesterday’s meeting, during which dozens of committee members voiced their concerns about the selection of the nominees.
The party’s 211-seat Central Committee is due to vote on the 34 nominees today.
Those who receive disapproval from more than half of the committee members at today’s the meeting would see their nomination annulled.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee director-general Lin Yi-hua (林奕華), who 14th on the list, said the nominees would be required to sign two affidavits after their nomination was passed by the Central Committee.
“One of them asks the candidates to pledge support for legislative reforms, while the other requires them to join the 2018 mayoral and commissioner elections should they be called upon by party headquarters. Those who refuse to comply would be stripped of their party membership,” Lin said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.
RSS