Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative candidate Wellington Koo (顧立雄) yesterday “tearfully” agreed to stop campaigning for Green Party-Social Democratic Party Alliance candidates, after being reprimanded by DPP leaders.
“After being told [to stop campaigning] by party leadership, my only choice is to tearfully accept — what else can I do?” said Koo, who is ranked fourth on the DPP’s legislator-at-large candidate list.
He appeared to rule out supporting several candidates with “pan-blue” backgrounds, who the DPP endorsed earlier this week, passing over competing candidates from the alliance.
“My heart has its own measuring stick. Party leaders can only tell me what I cannot do — they cannot require me to do anything,” he said.
Koo on Thursday had said he planned to continue campaigning for the alliance’s candidates, adding that there was “no way I could accept” the party’s endorsement process.
A lawyer and long-time civil activist, Koo had previously campaigned for Taipei district candidates Lee Yen-jong (李晏榕), Lu Hsin-chieh (呂欣潔) and Miao Po-ya (苗博雅).
The DPP on Wednesday endorsed rival independent candidates Billy Pan (潘建志), Yang Shih-chiu (楊實秋) and Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元).
The party’s support of the candidates has caused controversy among local party members because of their past criticism of the DPP, with Lee and Yang serving as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) city councilors before being ejected from the party earlier this year.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Hung Yao-fu (洪耀福) was on Thursday quoted in reports as saying that barring party officials from campaigning for unendorsed candidates was necessary to keep the vote from being split in competitive districts, which would guarantee a KMT victory.
The “sum” of the “good” and “bad” of candidates was ultimately reflected on the “objective measure” of their poll numbers, he said, adding that the party had given third-force candidates half a year to integrate before announcing its endorsements.
The alliance’s candidates had rejected previous DPP offers to facilitate “integration” in their districts, citing ideological incompatibility with competing candidates.
Miao said she “understood” that Koo was obligated to tow the party line, adding that she was confident he would continue to support her in private.
She said voters could “make their own judgement” about the DPP’s decision, adding that it highlighted the tensions between party discipline and individual conscience.
Additional reporting by Chen Hui-ping
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS