Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) could be the dark horse candidate in next year’s New Taipei City mayoral race, some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said.
DPP Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡), who is vying for the party’s nomination, said that during canvassing for support in neighborhoods around the city, he most frequently encountered New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Hou Yo-yi (侯友宜), who represents the city government in public events, and Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), the former KMT mayor of the city.
“I have also seen Hung at events in military dependent neighborhoods, but no one is sure whether she will enter the race next year,” Wu said.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政), who is also contemplating throwing his hat into the ring, said he has seen Chou at events, but has not seen Hung.
DPP Legislator Lin Chin-hsien (林俊憲) said that Hou is the deputy for New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who led the replacement of Hung as the party’s presidential candidate in the last election.
“KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) removed all the main Hung supporters from the party after he assumed the chairmanship. It is known that Chou acts as Wu’s deputy,” Lin said.
“Therefore, Hung felt bullied by these two men, Chu and Wu, and ended up without power and with few supporters inside the KMT,” Lin said. “We believe that Hung has decided to play the ‘avenger’ role by entering the New Taipei City mayoral race. Her entry would make the KMT’s preliminary race much more unpredictable.”
However, DPP Legislator Julian Kuo (郭正亮) disagreed, saying that Hung would try to take revenge against Chu and Wu by attacking them on the cross-strait relationship, not by entering the mayoral race.
“This is because China dislikes Wu. When China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) came to visit, he met with former Taipei mayor Hao Lung-bin (郝龍斌), but Zhang has not met with Wu yet,” Kuo said.
Hung’s office spokesman Lee Chang-chi (李昶志) said he would not comment on the speculations.
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