Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday confirmed that he had turned down an offer to be Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) running mate in next year’s presidential election.
Wang, who bowed out of the KMT primary prior to Han being named its winner, made the remarks in response to media queries on the sidelines of an event at National Tainan First Senior High School.
“I have said before that I will run in the election come what may; that is still true,” Wang said. “Heaven knows what will happen ... but I am a man of my word.”
Photo: CNA
Han has a large pool to pick from for his running mate and should focus on making a decision that supplements his own campaign, Wang said.
The Han campaign issued a statement later yesterday saying that Han is building party unity with “sincerity, patience and faith,” and expressed confidence that KMT leaders understand the high hopes of Taiwanese that “2020 will be a turning point in the nation’s destiny.”
In related developments, former premier Simon Chang (張善政) told Pop Radio yesterday that his presidential campaign “is at an end” and he has agreed to become Han’s convener of policy advisers.
Chang was vice premier under then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) from Dec. 7, 2014, to Feb. 1, 2016, before becoming premier until Ma’s term ended in May 2016.
After winning the KMT primary, Han initiated discussions with him to be part of the campaign’s policy team, Chang said, adding that he agreed to it because Han was genuinely interested in his policy ideas.
When asked whether he would agree to become Han’s running mate, Chang said he has not been approached about the issue, adding that polls suggest that former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) would make a “more logical pick.”
Former Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Terry Gou’s (郭台銘) decision in April to take part in the KMT primary was a surprise to him, as the business tycoon had previously voiced support for Chang’s bid when he announced it last year, Chang said, adding he harbors no hard feelings against Gou.
“Considering Guo’s wealth and ties with the party, he probably had a much better chance of winning than I did,” Chang said. “Gou and Han are both unconventional politicians who would make fine presidents, so I no longer see a reason for me to run.”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
RSS