Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday said that he would not be at the top of the party’s list of legislator-at-large nominees.
Wu made the remark on the sidelines of an event with Taoist groups in Taipei.
Asked to confirm a rumor that he would be listed between seventh and 11th on the list, Wu said: “Either way, I would definitely not be at the top of the list.”
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The KMT’s list would be selected by a panel based on guidelines passed by the Central Standing Committee, he said.
Asked about the declining support ratings for Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the KMT’s presidential candidate, Wu said that polls are not necessarily accurate.
As most of Han’s supporters are ordinary people who have to make a living, they might not be home to answer telephone interviews for polls, he said.
“There are still more than two months until the [presidential and legislative] elections, so we will keeping working hard,” Wu said.
Since July, when Han won the KMT presidential primary with a support rating of 44.8 percent — beating Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) by 17 percentage points — his support ratings have declined significantly in polls.
Polls conducted earlier this month by various media outlets found Han’s support ratings between 22.3 percent and 34.4 percent, trailing President Tsai Ing-wen by at least 16.4 percentage points.
Asked about the KMT’s list of legislator-at-large nominees, Han’s campaign office spokesman Ye Yuan-zhi (葉元之) said that he believes Wu would compile a list that meets the public’s expectations.
As for Han’s support ratings in polls, Ye said that poll numbers constantly fluctuate.
KMT internal polling has shown that the margin between Han and Tsai is diminishing, Ye said, adding that Han would continue to canvass for votes.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious