New Power Party (NPP) Chairman Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) yesterday said that his responsibility is to keep Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) in the Legislative Yuan next year, not to send him to the Presidential Office.
Hsu made the remarks during a news event at the NPP’s headquarters in Taipei when asked if the party would nominate Huang as its candidate for next year’s presidential election.
On Tuesday, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) wrote on Facebook that he had met with Hsu, and the party has not ruled out the option of nominating its own candidate.
Photo: Chiu Shu-yu, Taipei Times
Whether to put forth a candidate has been an ongoing discussion at the party’s decisionmaking committee, Hsu said.
Factors that must be considered include whether it can find an ideal candidate, he said, adding that if the committee decides that the party should front a candidate, it would submit a proposal to the NPP national congress for confirmation.
Asked if Huang could be an ideal option, Hsu said: “It is my responsibility as chairman to send him into the legislature ... not Ketagalan Boulevard.”
As “one of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) biggest fans,” Hsu said that if the administration is willing to collaborate with the NPP to promote bills in the legislature, then the party would be inclined to support her, he said.
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) goal of defending the nation against China is compatible with the NPP’s, which is to protect Taiwan and promote policy reforms, he said.
Tsai’s plan to amend the Constitution and pass a minimum wage law are also in line with the NPP’s aims, Hsu said, adding that he hopes the two parties could collaborate to promote them in the next legislative session, which begins next month.
He said he has expressed willingness to collaborate with the DPP so many times that he was starting to feel “embarrassed,” but he is still waiting for a response.
DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said he believes that both parties share the same long-term goals, although they might be moving at different paces.
Hopefully, they could all support Tsai’s re-election bid, Cho said, adding that he has been preparing for talks with the NPP.
Additional reporting by CNA
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