The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was scrambling to find a new candidate for the Yunlin County commissioner election yesterday after Chang Li-shan (張麗善) withdrew her candidacy on Monday.
National Yunlin University of Science & Technology professor Wu Wei-chi (吳威志) and Hsu Su-po (許舒博), director of the KMT’s Yunlin branch, are among those the party is considering as a replacement.
Hsu met KMT Secretary-General Chan Chun-po (詹春柏) at KMT headquarters yesterday but said he had no intention of running in the election.
Chan said the party would insist on presenting a candidate with integrity and a clean image. He also said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had urged the party to continue its reform efforts and push for party unity.
“The president hopes that the public will approve of our reform efforts and support the KMT,” he said.
BAD BLOOD
Chang announced on Monday that she would withdraw from the election without telling the party first. She said she was withdrawing her candidacy because of the bad blood between her brother, former Yunlin County commissioner Chang Jung-wei (張榮味) and Chang Hui-yuan (張輝元), who ran in Saturday’s Yunlin legislative by-election as an independent.
The split between Chang Hui-yuan and the KMT’s candidate Chang Ken-hui (張艮輝) helped Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) win a landslide victory, the two factions backing Chang Hui-yuan and Chang Jung-wei respectively having turned on each other.
KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said the party would definitely find a candidate from Yunlin, rather than someone from another city or county.
Wu also dismissed allegations that the party wanted its candidates standing in local government elections who are also legislators to give up their legislative seats.
Chan, however, said the party could consider it as a strategy to increase room for negotiation between hopefuls.
The party could arrange for individuals who were also interested in joining the local government elections to run in the legislative by-elections instead if the other candidates gave up their legislative seats, Chan said.
The KMT would not make a decision on the issue without consulting candidates, legislators and local branches, he said.
KMT candidates who are also legislators include Hsinchu County’s Chiu Ching-chun (邱鏡淳), Taitung County’s Justin Huang (黃健庭), Taoyuan County’s John Wu (吳志揚), and Chiayi County’s Wong Chung-chun (翁重鈞).
INDEPENDENT
In related news, Hualien County Deputy Commissioner Chang Chih-ming (張志明) said he would leave the KMT to take part in December’s county commissioner election as an independent.
Chang did not take part in last month’s party primary, which saw former Hualien County Agricultural Development Office director Tu Li-hua (杜麗華) triumph over former minister of health Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川), but has long been interested in running for the post.
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
DEROGATORY: WTO host Cameroon’s designation of Taiwan as a ‘province of China’ seriously undermines the nation’s status and rights as a WTO member, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned Cameroon for listing Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in visa documents for an upcoming WTO ministerial conference, a move that led to Taiwan’s withdrawal from the event. The designation “seriously undermined” Taiwan’s status and rights as a WTO member, the ministry said in a statement. It is the first time since 2001 that Taiwan has declined to attend a WTO Ministerial Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday next week in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Taiwan had planned to send a delegation led by Minister Without Portfolio
RSS