The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday nominated former KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) as a candidate in Tainan for next year’s legislative elections.
The former deputy legislative speaker — best known for her controversial cross-strait formula of “one China, same interpretation” — is to challenge Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) in Tainan’s sixth constituency.
In 2016, Wang was elected with the most votes of any race in the nation, garnering 72.05 percent support from constituents.
Photo: Weng Yu-huang, Taipei Times
While the constituency is “very green and very difficult,” Hung said that she is ready to take on the challenge because the party needs her.
The nomination was passed by the KMT Central Standing Committee, along with a decision to not nominate any candidate for the third constituency of New Taipei City, where the party is planning to collaborate with independent New Taipei City Councilor Li Weng Yueh-e (李翁月娥).
The KMT has nominated 73 legislative candidates in 71 constituencies.
Photo courtesy of Chuang Ching-cheng’s service office
Areas where it has not yet nominated any candidates include two constituencies in Taichung and one each in Chiayi and Kinmen counties.
For the remaining constituencies in Taichung, the party is expected to nominate former Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) and Taichung Deputy Mayor Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔).
In the second constituency in Chiayi, it is expected to cooperate with former DPP legislator Lin Kuo-ching (林國慶).
In Kinmen, incumbent KMT Legislator Chen Yu-chen (陳玉珍) is widely seen as the front-runner.
Separately yesterday, the DPP Central Executive Committee nominated six legislative candidates for next year’s elections.
In Taipei’s constituency for Zhongshan (中山) and northern Songshan (松山) districts, Enoch Wu (吳怡農) is to challenge KMT Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安).
In Taipei’s Daan District (大安) constituency, lawyer Hsieh Pei-fen (謝佩芬) is to compete against KMT Legislator Lin Yi-hua (林奕華).
For constituencies in Taichung and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Lienchiang counties, the DPP nominated National Chiao Tung University assistant professor of biomedical engineering Chuang Ching-cheng (莊競程), former DPP Hakka Affairs Department director Cheng Chao-Fang (鄭朝方), former Toufen Township (頭份) mayor Hsu Ting-chen (徐定禎) and party spokesman Lii Wen (李問) respectively.
The committee also decided not to nominate any legislative candidate in Kinmen.
The party has five more constituencies for which it plans to nominate legislative candidates, DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday.
Work on the remaining nominations would be completed by next week or the week after that, he said.
Additional reporting by Ann Maxon
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and