Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) and former KMT vice chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday presented their platforms as candidates in the party’s chairperson by-election to be held on March 7.
Speaking before the presentations began at KMT headquarters in Taipei, KMT Acting Chairman Lin Rong-te (林榮德) called the by-election “the most important step in the party’s push for reform.”
“No matter which of the two of us serves as the chairman of the KMT, we will face difficult reforms,” Chiang said. “The KMT has reached an important moment when reform cannot be avoided.”
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Chiang said the party’s defeats in the 2016 and this year’s elections showed that it needs to “redesign and adjust” aspects such as its core values, policies and its nomination process.
Among the proposals he has made are the creation of an 11-member decisionmaking group within the party that would “respond quickly to public opinion”; better use of online tools to communicate with the public; and a digitization of the services the party provides to its members.
Chiang also called for a series of discussions on the party’s values and policies, including its policy on cross-strait relations.
Meanwhile, Hau attributed the party’s losses in the Jan. 11 elections to “selfishness” and a “lack of unity.”
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and former premier William Lai (賴清德) ran on the same ticket after competing in the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential primary, he said, adding: “This is an example we must learn from.”
“The KMT’s core philosophy is to defend the Republic of China [ROC] and oppose Taiwan’s independence,” Hau said, adding that he would follow that philosophy.
In his speech, Hau also addressed calls for older members of the KMT to hand over the party’s leadership to the younger generation, saying that a person’s attitude, ability and experience — rather than age — determine whether they are competent.
During the question-and-answer portion of the presentations, reporters asked Chiang whether he plans to run in the 2022 local elections or the 2024 national elections.
Chiang said that his focus at the moment is on serving the public in his capacity as a lawmaker and leading the KMT’s reform if he is elected next month.
If elected, his term as chairman would end on May 20 next year, he said, adding: “After 2021, I do not know whether I will have an opportunity to perform other duties.”
US climber Alex Honnold is to attempt to scale Taipei 101 without a rope and harness in a live Netflix special on Jan. 24, the streaming platform announced on Wednesday. Accounting for the time difference, the two-hour broadcast of Honnold’s climb, called Skyscraper Live, is to air on Jan. 23 in the US, Netflix said in a statement. Honnold, 40, was the first person ever to free solo climb the 900m El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park — a feat that was recorded and later made into the 2018 documentary film Free Solo. Netflix previewed Skyscraper Live in October, after videos
Starting on Jan. 1, YouBike riders must have insurance to use the service, and a six-month trial of NT$5 coupons under certain conditions would be implemented to balance bike shortages, a joint statement from transportation departments across Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan announced yesterday. The rental bike system operator said that coupons would be offered to riders to rent bikes from full stations, for riders who take out an electric-assisted bike from a full station, and for riders who return a bike to an empty station. All riders with YouBike accounts are automatically eligible for the program, and each membership account
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
RSS