Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chiayi City Council Speaker Hsiao Shu-li (蕭淑麗) yesterday announced that she would run as an independent for the Chiayi mayoral post later this year, saying she did not trust the KMT’s poll-based primary.
Hsiao said she forsook her supporters three years ago by not completing her bid for mayor and did not want to let history repeat itself.
“I hope my bid will not be determined by the party, but by public opinion,” Hsiao told a news conference in Chiayi, adding that a political party should be like-minded people jointly fighting for people’s happiness and best interests.
Photo: Taipei Times
In March 2014, eight months before the local nine-in-one elections, Hsiao also said she would withdraw from the KMT and run as an independent candidate.
She dropped out of the race in July that year.
Hsiao rejoined the KMT in late 2014 after winning a city councilor seat as an independent.
Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), the Democratic Progressive Party candidate, won the mayoral post, defeating the KMT candidate, former National Youth Commission minister Chen Yi-chen (陳以真), by only 8,590 votes.
Hsiao said she started mulling quitting the party again after former Chiayi mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) announced her bid for the mayoral post at an event also attended by KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) on Saturday last week.
“Such a coincidence has caused grievance among my supporters,” Hsiao said.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said the party still hoped that all aspiring candidates could return to the party’s primary mechanism.
Asked whether Hsiao notified party headquarters before her announcement, Hung did not answer directly, but said only that the KMT has a good grasp of the situation.
At press time last night, the KMT’s local branch had yet to receive Hsiao’s application for membership withdrawal.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS