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.”
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS