Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice chairman Steve Chan (詹啟賢) yesterday morning announced his decision to run in the KMT’s chairperson election, pledging to build a unified and tolerant party that aims to regain power in 2020.
Chan announced his candidacy at a news conference in Taipei, becoming the fifth KMT official to join the race scheduled for May 20 alongside KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Co general manager Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).
“[Healing] a divided Taiwan and a split KMT are our unavoidable tasks. We must change the current situation. In order to do that, we must begin with the KMT,” Chan said in his candidacy announcement speech.
Setting his goals for the KMT, Chan said the party must be united, tolerant and diversified and that he intends to reinvigorate its ideals, which he said helped create Asia’s first democratic nation and made Taiwan a beacon of democracy for Chinese communities around the world.
Chan said he also plans to reform the KMT to make it more in-sync with mainstream public opinion, so that the party is able to return Taiwan to its former prosperity, safeguard the Republic of China (ROC) and maintain cross-strait peace.
“The KMT does not need to worry about losing its party assets; our biggest assets are our creation of the ROC; safeguarding of freedom and democracy; our lofty ideals and the sacrifices we have made for the nation,” Chan said.
Prompted by a determination to push for another transfer of power and protect the nation’s peace and prosperity, Chan said the reason behind his candidacy is clear and simple — to put the KMT back in power in the 2020 presidential elections.
Chan said he only began to consider throwing his hat into the ring late last month, but expressed confidence that he would be able to meet all the candidacy requirements, including collecting enough signatures from KMT members.
Asked about his plans for the 2020 election, Chan said it is the ultimate goal of any political party to gain power and that he intends to nominate the best and most competent candidate for the job.
“I do not rule out myself [as the 2020 presidential candidate]. I will work toward that goal, but a lot could happen before the race,” Chan said.
Former vice president Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), who attended yesterday’s news conference in support of Chan, praised the former KMT vice chairman as a “reformer” and a trustworthy person.
Chan tendered his resignation on Jan. 7, reportedly due to divisions between him and Hung over how to handle the KMT’s questionable assets.
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