Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday lauded the party’s performance in Saturday’s legislative by-elections, saying it has made headway narrowing the margins between the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in traditionally deep-green areas.
Wu made the remarks in response to media queries about whether the KMT’s failure to secure more legislative seats in the by-elections means that the so-called “Han wave” in the lead-up to Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) election last year has waned.
“We cannot look at it like that,” Wu said, adding that New Taipei City’s third electoral district in Sanchong District (三重) has traditionally been a deep-green area.
Photo: CNA
Compared with past election results in Sanchong, which showed a margin of almost 20 percent between the DPP and the KMT, Wu said that his party reduced the gap to about 5 percent this time.
Tainan has long been a DPP stronghold, but despite all-out campaign efforts by the DPP, its candidate, Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文), only defeated the KMT’s Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) by 3 percent, he said.
“Significantly narrowing the margins is progress in itself,” he said.
The KMT only won in Changhua County, while the DPP secured two seats, in New Taipei City and Tainan, and independent Chen Yu-chen (陳玉珍) claimed victory over the KMT candidate in Kinmen County.
Asked whether the KMT would continue to rely on the “Han wave” in next year’s presidential and legislative elections, Wu said that every vote would require a serious effort by all party members, especially given the narrow margins between the DPP and the KMT at the moment.
Separately yesterday, former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) of the KMT, who has launched a presidential bid, said that the KMT should endeavor to become a party that can inspire people’s support, rather than trying to be the “less detestable” party.
Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) in a video on Facebook on Saturday said that while the results of the legislative by-elections did not mean victory for the DPP, they showed that the electorate is willing to give the party an opportunity to improve.
Additional reporting by CNA
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS