Liberty Times (LT): Do you think that KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) has put together a fair primary, despite your criticisms, and would you prefer to see him stay out of the race?
Wang Jin-pyng (王金平): How can we predict what people will do? That is impossible. We have to respect him as our chairman.
However, as I have said, this primary has been unjust and lacked impartiality because of the public personas [of some of the party’s presidential hopefuls]. This is how I feel.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
I have already implored the KMT’s Central Standing Committee on numerous occasions regarding the issue, and yet the rules do not allow a genuine reflection of how strong a potential candidate is.
LT: Is former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) worried about the current state of the KMT?
Wang: Yes. Lien was the first and the only person I told that I was not participating in the primary before I made the public announcement. Of course, he respected my decision and he understood that the rules of the primary were strange.
LT: Why do you often say these days that a good performance in public opinion polls does not necessarily indicate who the strongest candidate is?
Wang: Is that not the case? That is why when I met with Wu, I told him that the best performer in the polls would not necessarily be the strongest candidate. It would be better to find out who the strongest candidate truly is.
When the Kaohsiung mayoral race began, was it not Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) who was doing worst in the polls? How did he win back 150,000 votes?
Even [Taipei Mayor] Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who is highly rated in polls, remains undecided over whether to contest the presidency. [That is because] when the presidential election takes place, every corner [of the nation] will be an electorate. Would the results of opinion polls necessarily turn into actual votes?
Things change with time.
That is why I say that in a competition you have to wait for the results, just as in baseball the outcome is not decided until the ninth inning. And there can be extra innings, which is just one example of unexpected circumstances.
LT: You have helped Han [win in Kaohsiung last year] with your time and money. Do you feel that the party’s focus on Han is a bit of a betrayal?
Wang: No, do not say that. This is about momentum. Han is doing well in the opinion polls, so everyone is focused on him. Of course everyone wants to ride that momentum and he wants to go everywhere to recruit supporters. This is totally understandable. Everyone has their own outlook and makes their own choices. I still have respect for him and wish him well.
LT: However, this momentum could change at any moment. Do others not see the big picture?
Wang: They cannot yet see it. Of course I recognize this situation, which is why my good friends spoke to me about it. Anyway, there are already people rushing to give him [Han] support, so we wish him the best.
LT: There is already support for you among grassroots KMT supporters and a petition for you to run as an independent. Is it likely you will run?
Wang: Back when I expressed my intention to join the primary, I said that for sure my name would be on the ballot, but at this point, all we can do is wait and see. It is too early to say.
Right now, I cannot say with certainty that I would not make the grade. I cannot say: “My name will not be on the ballot.”
If I really wanted a petition, I would not do it on my own. It would be a nationwide effort. The people [who have started the petition] are passionate supporters who hope I will contest the presidency. This is their way to express their support.
A petition that fell short of the 280,000-signature threshold by even a few hundred would go nowhere. If I really wanted to do this, from September I could seek support from across the nation. I would not do it like this [current small-scale petition].
LT: Is running as an independent an option and is being someone’s running mate completely off the table?
Wang: At the moment, I am not thinking about leaving the party. I am working with grassroots supporters, pulling support together from all over and gathering all the resources I can. To help the KMT win next year — that is my greatest hope.
I made it explicitly clear long ago that I would not be anyone’s running mate. There are people out there saying that I might be holding out for other roles, such as premier or legislative speaker — it is all nonsense. Saying I would sell out is nonsense. Who really knows me? I know myself. As for my next move, nobody can guess what that will be. I want to win back administrative power for the KMT.
LT: Why have hardline pan-blue camp supporters alienated you, despite the contributions you have made to veterans? How can you become the strongest candidate?
Wang: If they want votes from pan-green camp supporters or swing voters, I am the one who can get the most of those. The others would have a hard time getting those votes. When have they ever gotten votes from pan-green supporters? A candidate with wide support among party members and who can pull in green votes — would that not be the strongest candidate?
Next year there will also be legislative elections... I am also the strongest candidate in terms of the coattail effect. As I am the strongest candidate, I am also the most aware. That awareness — along with my aspirations — are not just for myself, but also for legislators. Legislators in all districts encounter strange issues and if they seek me out, I can help them deal with those issues.
LT: What do you think of [Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman and KMT presidential hopeful] Terry Gou’s (郭台銘) proposal to have a contingency mechanism in place in the event that the party’s nominee becomes unable to participate in the election?
Wang: A contingency mechanism is unreasonable. A primary can only produce one nominee. Once this person is chosen, the primary is done. If there is some unexpected development, deal with that when the time comes. There is no such thing as a mechanism to choose a backup nominee. Once the primary is finished, how can there be anything after that?
The interview was conducted by staff reporters Chiu Yan-ling, Chen Yun, Lin Liang-sheng and Huang Wei-chu.
Translated by staff writer William Hetherington
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