Despite former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) announcing earlier this month that she intended to run for a legislative seat in Tainan, a source from within the party yesterday said that unless Hung keeps quiet about her “one China, same interpretation” stance, the likelihood of her securing the party’s nomination is “close to nil.”
Hung’s “same interpretation” stance was perceived as the reason for the KMT rescinding her nomination and replacing her with then-New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) as its presidential candidate in the 2014 presidential election.
The sixth electoral district is a key race for the KMT, whether Hung or someone else ends up being the candidate, so the bottom line is that the party must nominate the person who will best serve the long-term interests of the party, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The candidate must be willing to cultivate long-term grassroots support, meaning that they should be willing to join the next Tainan city councilor race after a loss in next year’s legislative election, the source said.
An ambitious candidate who fulfills those conditions would be picked over anyone else, the source said, adding that the party would then seek the support of Hung, who said she would respect any decision made by the party.
“If such a candidate doesn’t exist, the party would consider nominating Hung,” the source said.
Asked if KMT supporters are worried that Hung’s “same interpretation” stance would make the campaign even bleaker for the KMT, the source said that they were concerned, adding that the party’s Tainan chapter would seek to communicate with the former party chairwoman.
Chapter chairman Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) yesterday said that he has given up on the idea of communicating with Hung, as trying to convince her to keep quiet about her stance would likely not work.
As a legislative hopeful, Hung’s negatives outweigh her positives, due largely to her cross-strait stance, Hsieh said.
If Hung secures the nomination and continues to tout her stance, the election for the seat would become too unpredictable, something that is deeply concerning to the party, he said.
Hsieh said that he identified three ideal candidates for the seat, one of whom is high-profile, like Hung.
Since Hung announced her bid, some initial hopefuls have planned to withdraw, while others have said they would not give in to her without a fight, Hsieh said. “That creates a predicament for me and [KMT Chairman] Wu Den-yih (吳敦義).”
Wu at a recent meeting of the KMT’s Central Standing Committee said that no party members should propagate the “one China, same interpretation” stance.
“If anyone fails to support the party’s position, that person is not qualified to be a KMT member,” Wu said.
Hsieh said that he used to support Hung, but that her cross-strait stance is not accepted by most people over the short-term and would be “difficult to sell during an election campaign.”
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
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
RSS