Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taitung County commissioner candidate Rao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴) was on Friday faced with an unexpected opponent after the Central Election Commission published a list of contenders that included fellow KMT member and former Taitung County commissioner Kuang Li-chen (鄺麗貞), the wife of one of Rao’s top backers.
Rao said that the unexpected turn of events was a “ploy” by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
“The DPP has gone all-out in a desperate attempt to hurt my prospects of being elected,” Rao said.
Photo: Huang Ming-tang, Taipei Times
Kuang’s husband, former Taitung County commissioner Wu Chun-li (吳俊立) of the KMT, said he was furious when he learned that she had registered as a candidate without his knowledge.
Wu, who heads an association backing Rao, said Kuang’s move had pushed his political future to the brink and that he would consider filing for divorce to salvage his career.
It is highly likely that someone manipulated Kuang, Wu said, adding that he would get to the bottom of the incident.
At a campaign rally with Rao, KMT Taitung chapter head Wu Hsiu-hua (吳秀華) — Wu Chun-li’s younger sister — said her support for Rao would not be affected by Kuang joining the race.
The matter would be handled according to party rules, Wu Hsiu-hua said.
Taitung County Commissioner Justin Huang (黃健庭), who was at the rally, said he was amazed by Kuang’s commissioner bid.
“The DPP will not get its way with this divide-and-conquer tactic,” Huang said.
DPP Taitung County commissioner candidate Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪) said he welcomed any constructive competition from anyone who wants to contribute to Taitung.
In response to media queries yesterday, KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said the party is looking into the incident and would decide whether to subject Kuang to disciplinary measures after the investigation is completed.
Additional reporting by Sean Lin
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS