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.
Photo: CNA
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.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
TRANSPORT DISRUPTION: More than 100 ferry services were suspended due to rough seas and strong winds, and eight domestic flights were canceled, the ministry said Tropical Storm Wipha intensified slightly yesterday as it passed closest to Taiwan, dumping more than 200mm of rain in Hualien and Taitung counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 11am, Wipha was about 210km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and was moving west-northwest at 27km per hour (kph). The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 101kph and gusts reaching 126kph, with a 150km radius of strong winds, CWA data showed. Wipha’s outer rainbands began sweeping across Taiwan early yesterday, delivering steady rainfall in the east and scattered showers in other regions, forecasters said. More heavy rain was expected, especially in the eastern
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity