Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday said the party needs to win leadership in at least two of the six special municipalities in next year’s elections to counter the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) political monopoly.
Hau, who served two terms as Taipei mayor and is now a candidate in the KMT’s May 20 election for chairperson, posted on Facebook that next year’s local polls would be key to determining if the KMT could regain its footing.
“The elections would be a key first step. Only by increasing its local-level influence can the KMT keep the DPP’s monopoly in check,” Hau said.
The KMT must accomplish three things in next year’s races: increase the number of cities and counties it controls, secure victory in at least two out of the six special municipalities, and ensure an increase in its total votes nationwide from the 2014 nine-in-one elections, he said.
If the KMT fails to achieve these goals, its path would only become more tumultuous, Hau said.
Next year’s elections would see voters choose the mayors and city councilors in the special municipalities; mayors and councilors in other cities; Aboriginal district representatives and councilors; county commissioners and councilors; township mayors and councilors; and borough and village wardens.
In the 2014 elections, the KMT won just one special municipality — New Taipei City — and five cities and counties.
Hau said candidates for next year’s elections should be “refreshing” and able to improve the KMT’s image in voters’ eyes, and he named several “rising stars,” including current legislators.
At a seperate event, former KMT vice chairman Steve Chan (詹啟賢), another KMT chair candidate, yesterday said that the KMT is suffering from multiple organ failure and cannot just be treated with a dose of medicine.
“If you say the KMT’s problems can be solved with a simple prescription, you’ll win a bet on me,” the former hospital administrator and bio-tech company chairman said. “It’s impossible to treat the problem without a complete overhaul because the party is suffering multiple organ failure.”
The KMT must adopt a new ideology and way of doing things, and such an approach can best be achieved by someone like himself, who has no “no party baggage,” he said.
Of the six contenders for the KMT’s chair, he is the only one who was not groomed by the party, Chan said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS