Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday pledged to mediate between KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) and the party’s Central Committee member Sean Lien (連勝文), whose relationship has been plagued by a years-long feud that could cost Ting the support of a prominent KMT family in the Nov. 24 nine-in-one elections.
Wu made the remarks when responding to media queries about whether Ting and Lien have yet to patch things up, given Lien’s refusal on Friday to campaign for the former lawmaker, who on May 9 secured the KMT’s nomination as its Taipei mayoral candidate after four failed attempts since 1994.
“[Lien’s refusal] was inevitable because he is only human. I think [Ting] should try making more visits [to Lien’s family] and let his sincerity change people’s minds,” Wu said on the sidelines of a party event in Taipei, which was also attended by Ting.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Wu said Lien is an outstanding young talent and he believes Lien’s family’s support for Ting “can be expected,” adding that he is willing to mediate, as it is his job as KMT chairman to maintain solidarity within the party.
Lien and Ting’s rapport ran aground after Lien announced his bid for the KMT’s Taipei mayoral primary in February 2014, which prompted Ting, another candidate aspirant at the time, to run a full front-page newspaper ad criticizing Lien and saying he lacked the experience needed to govern the nation’s capital.
The two later exchanged harsh words until the KMT nominated Lien as its Taipei mayoral candidate for the 2014 local elections in April that year.
Although Ting is likely to benefit from a possible split in the pan-green camp after the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) decided to field its own candidate in Taipei, rather than endorsing independent Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) for re-election, it is vital for Ting to win the support of Lien’s family given its influence among KMT supporters.
Lien is the grandson of Lien Chen-tung (連震東), who reportedly rose from a poor civil servant to the seventh-wealthiest man in Taipei within 11 years of the KMT’s retreat to Taiwan in 1949 and occupied several high-ranking positions under the former authoritarian KMT regime, including the position of premier from 1960 to 1966.
Sean Lien’s father, former vice president Lien Chan (連戰), has also filled several high-ranking posts in the government, as well as within the KMT.
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