Top officials in the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) seem to have embraced the possibility of nominating Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) as the party’s presidential candidate for next year, with former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) saying yesterday that ensuring the KMT’s return to power is what really matters.
Despite Han saying that a presidential run was not part of his plans for next year, many KMT members have called on the party’s headquarters to nominate him to help the KMT regain power.
Ma yesterday said on the sidelines of a public event in Taipei that Han would have the support of the KMT if he stepped forward.
Photo: Weng Tzu-han, Taipei Times
“If the KMT would be able to return to power, all of us would support him,” said Ma, whose China-leaning policies and low support rates were blamed for the KMT’s defeat in the 2016 presidential election.
Ma’s remarks followed similar comments by KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) in a POP Radio interview on Thursday.
Wu said that if Han did vie for the presidency, he would not be forsaking Kaohsiung residents who supported him in the local elections in November last year as some have claimed, as he would be able to incorporate Kaohsiung into national development plans if he were elected.
“That said, some are advising Han to serve out his mayoral term,” Wu said. “I believe he is struggling with the issues a great deal.”
Wu also said that he was torn over whether to join the KMT’s presidential primary.
With KMT members regaining confidence in the party’s electoral prospects after the local elections, in which the party won 15 out of 22 city and county mayoral races, it has seen an increase in the number of presidential candidate hopefuls.
So far, several pan-blue figures have announced bids, including former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), KMT Legislator Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), former premier Simon Chang (張善政) and Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), a former commissioner of what used to be Taipei County.
The KMT is to open registration for the presidential primary next month or in May, with a final decision on the candidate expected in July or August at the earliest.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun and Wan Yu-chen
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