Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday remained tight-lipped on his intention to run in next year’s presidential election.
Asked by reporters at an event at the Tainan Grand Matsu Temple (台南大天后宮) if he would register for the KMT presidential candidate primary, a noncommittal Wang said: “One will know when it is time.”
The Chinese-language Mirror Media magazine reported that Wang has met with KMT Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and other officials, which the magazine and other media outlets interpreted as him seeking support to run for president.
Photo copied by Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times
Wang also reportedly attended a lunch with Tainan’s nonaligned city councilors, which was also interpreted as him garnering support for a presidential bid.
Asked in an interview on Tuesday whether he and Han had discussed the future of the party or what Han could do to “help,” Wang said: “There need be no more talk. What will be, will be.”
The conversation with Han was focused on Kaohsiung’s economic development, Wang said, adding that there was no need to set up a meeting just to ask for Han’s support.
He dismissed reports that he had received high support ratings among possible presidential candidates, saying that the party had not even decided how its candidate would be nominated.
“How can such polls be accurate? What purpose can they serve?” Wang said.
He said that former KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), who was then running for president, had in 2016 approached him about a presidential run and promised to drop her bid if he agreed.
After meeting with his family in New Taipei City’s Wulai (烏來), Wang said that he turned down the offer.
Asked whether he would hold another such meeting, Wang said: “Sometimes there must be a family meeting and sometimes not.”
Meanwhile, former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who has pledged to run, said that the party should remain united, as a victory next year would even then not be guaranteed.
The KMT is a democratic party and its members are free to express their opinions, he said.
Revitalizing Taiwan’s economy and garnering popular support should be prioritized over when and how the party would nominate its presidential candidate, he added.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said that it would be “quite the bombshell” if Wang runs for president next year.
Wang is well connected due to his many years in politics and the DPP would do well to be careful, he said.
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