Retired army general Yu Pei-chen (于北辰) on Friday said that he was leaving the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and voiced his support for the Democratic Progressive Party’s Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), who is to run in a by-election on Sunday next week.
Yu made the announcement during an appearance on a talk show. The by-election is to fill Taichung’s second electoral district seat, left vacant following the recall of former legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party in October last year.
Yu said he supported justice, the Republic of China and the Republic of China Army, and not a local faction.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
KMT by-election candidate Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒) yesterday accused Yu of “selling out his soul” for NT$3,000 — the fee for attending the talk show — and said that regardless of ideology, political parties must have a core idea that defines them.
“Without that central core, political parties are not that different from chain convenience stores,” he added.
Yu yesterday said that Yen, coming from a wealthy family, should not insult convenience store workers, who he said have to work hard for a living.
Lin thanked Yu for his support, saying that regardless of Yu’s previous party affiliation, she and Yu now agree “that we must resist the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] and protect Taiwan together.”
Yu had been a loyal KMT member for more than 30 years and hoped the party could change, Lin said, adding that Yen’s criticism of a former party member was unnecessary.
Yu had previously said that the KMT’s insistence on the so-called “1992 consensus” was detached from reality.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that Yu might have some misunderstandings about cross-strait relations, adding that he would gladly clarify the issues to Yu if given the chance.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the CCP that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The military yesterday showed off its latest domestically produced armored vehicle, the CM-34 Clouded Leopard, at a remote manufacturing site in the nation’s central mountains. Taiwan has been eager to demonstrate its resolve to defend itself should China ever attack. Those fears have become more pronounced over the past few years as Beijing has stepped up military activities near Taiwan. While Taiwan relies on the US for many of its weapons, such as fighter jets, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has been pushing for a greater emphasis on Taiwanese-designed and made armaments, the most high profile of which is new submarines. The eight-wheeled CM-34,
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