The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidates for Nantou, Miaoli, Lienchiang and Changhua counties for next year’s local elections were confirmed at a Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday, the party said.
Candidates for other cities and counties would be determined by support ratings if an agreement could not be reached between people who want to run in the same county, KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said.
The committee tapped Nantou County Commissioner Lin Ming-chen (林明溱), Miaoli County Commissioner Hsu Yao-chang (徐耀昌), Lienchiang County Commissioner Liu Tseng-ying (劉增應) as candidates seeking a second term in office, while KMT Legislator Wang Hui-mei (王惠美) won the party primary to run for Changhua County commissioner, KMT spokesman Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪) said.
Wang had topped popular support charts in general polls against Changhua County’s Puyan Township (埔鹽) Mayor Yang Fu-ti (楊福地) and party member Wu Ming-che (吳明哲), a physician, Huang said.
Wang is to run against Democratic Progressive Party Changhua County Commissioner Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷), who is seeking a second term, Huang added.
The KMT said it would hold primaries to determine its candidates for the Hsinchu City and New Taipei City mayoral races.
The KMT Hsinchu party branch said it would open the roster for registration on Jan. 2 and hopes to name a candidate by Feb. 7.
The two strongest potential contenders for New Taipei City mayor are former Taipei County commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) and New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Hou Yu-yi (侯友宜), the party said.
The KMT New Taipei City party branch Director Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) said polls would be conducted after Jan. 1 and the party hopes to have a confirmed candidate for the municipality by Feb. 5.
Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Sufin Siluko (廖國棟) announced that he would be registering for the party primary for Taitung County commissioner.
The announcement would set Sufin Siluko against KMT Taitung County Council Deputy Speaker Rao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴), the party said.
Sufin Siluko said he hopes the party would hold party member votes, in-party polls on popularity and general polls for popular support simultaneously to determine its candidate for Taitung commissioner.
Sufin Siluko confirmed that former Taitung County commissioner Wu Chun-li (吳俊立) and Taitung County Commissioner Justin Huang (黃健庭) three months ago suggested that he should consider running for county commissioner.
Sufin Siluko said he had turned down such offers, as he was the head of the Legislative Yuan’s KMT caucus during the past two years, but added that his departure from the position in June allowed him time to consider such suggestions.
Additional reporting by Huang Ming-tang
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