The Chinese Nationalist Party’s plan to set a date and new guidelines for its presidential primary could be postponed after the party canceled KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih’s (吳敦義) planned meetings with former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), KMT Legislator Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).
The KMT had originally planned to pass the guidelines and set a date for the primary in a Central Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday and announce the results on Wednesday next week.
However, the party on Saturday canceled Wu’s planned meetings with Chu and Wang after Chu insisted that the meetings be public.
Photo: CNA
The party would discuss its response before and during Wednesday’s meeting and ensure that things are handled in a way easy for all to accept, KMT spokesman Ouyang Long (歐陽龍) said yesterday.
While the plan to set a date and establish guidelines for the primary could be postponed, they would still be completed by the end of this month as planned, without affecting the primary, he said.
KMT Central Standing Committee member William Hsu (徐弘庭) criticized the decision, saying that the party can no longer afford such delays.
If the party wants to nominate Han, it should do so and bring the case to the committee, he said.
If it is worried about a lack of support, then it should initiate a national convention, Hsu added.
The party must take action now or it would remain stuck on whether to enlist Han in the presidential race, he said, adding that discussing guidelines and a date for the primary before Wu has met anyone “makes no sense.”
Committee member Yao Chiang-ling (姚江臨) expressed a similar opinion, saying that the best way would be for Wu to talk to all potential candidates before passing a set of guidelines that must be followed.
Committee member Tseng Wen-pei (曾文培) urged Wu to be more direct in his approach.
When then-KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) was replaced by Chu in 2015, the party did not discuss the plan with Hung in advance, he said, adding that Wu does not need the consent of all primary candidates.
A majority of low-level party members agree that Han should be enlisted for the presidential race, he said, adding that events could unfold in three ways.
First, the party could set down guidelines and a date for the primary on Wednesday and require all primary candidates to adhere to them, although it would lead to serious divisions later on, he said.
Second, the party could conduct a poll to gauge public support for Chu, Wang and Han, and nominate one of them according to the results without holding further meetings with each candidate, Hsu said.
Third, it could postpone Wednesday’s discussion for the guidelines and the date until Wu has had a chance to meet with all three potential candidates, especially Han, he said.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for 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
ISOLATION: The outposts would serve as support and backup bases, forcing US forces to either face China head-on or reroute, increasing travel time and operational costs China’s outposts in the South China Sea could be used to delay and constrain foreign forces during a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, giving Beijing a critical window to carry out amphibious landing and blockade operations, a report said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forward operating bases on islands and reclaimed features in the South China Sea could delay foreign forces long enough for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to secure a key 48-to-72-hour window in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council found. The report, conducted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, examined
RSS