The "pan-blue" camp hopes to announce its joint candidate for the year-end Kaohsiung mayoral race by the end of the week, James Chen (陳建治), director-general of the KMT's Organization and Development Committee, said yesterday.
According to Chen, the KMT's nine-member nomination review committee could announce its choice of candidate for Kaohsiung mayor as early as tomorrow.
"Once that is done, we will sit down with the PFP to reach a consensus over a joint candidate," Chen said, adding that a consensus would be reached either through an opinion poll or negotiations with the PFP.
"If all goes smoothly, a joint KMT-PFP candidate will be decided this week without much ado," Chen said.
The PFP has selected its vice chairman, Chang Chao-hsiung (
Complicating matters is the number of contenders from the two parties as well the entry of former minister of the interior Chang Po-ya (張博雅) and former DPP chairman Shih Ming-te (施明德), both of whom are independents. The PFP has proposed that Chang and Shih should be taken into consideration as joint candidates for the "pan-blue" camp to take on DPP incumbent Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).
Chen declined to comment on speculation in a local Chinese-language newspaper that Huang Jun-ying would be the KMT's chosen candidate.
Meanwhile, PFP caucus leader Liu Wen-hsiung (
Liu said Chang would only withdraw with good reason.
"[Chang] has never insisted that he run in the Kaohsiung mayoral race," Liu said. "If the KMT's nominee has a greater chance of winning than Chang, then that would be a good reason for Chang to withdraw from the race."
While Liu did not rule out Chang Po-ya or Shih, he said there was some opposition within the party to Chang Po-ya's obscure political position.
Liu, nevertheless, reiterated that his party has maintained a high degree of flexibility concerning the mayoral candidacy and will not rule out any qualified contenders.
Once the KMT reveals its choice of candidate, Liu said his party would prefer to decide on the joint candidate through negotiation rather than opinion polls.
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
‘ANGRY’: Forgetting the humiliations and sacrifices of ‘the people of the Republic of China’ experienced disqualified Lai from being president, Ma Ying-jeou said Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday criticized President William Lai (賴清德) over what he called “phrasing that downplayed Japan’s atrocities” against China during World War II. Ma made the remarks in a post on Facebook on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Ma said he was “angry and disappointed” that Lai described the anniversary as the end of World War II instead of a “victory in the war of resistance” — a reference to the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). The eight-year war was a part of World War II, in which Japan and the other Axis
RSS