Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan’s (連戰) son, Sean Lien (連勝文), who was shot in the face at an election campaign event last year, joined party members yesterday to campaign for President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Sean Lien showed up at the KMT’s Central Committee meeting in Taipei and attended a campaign event organized by Ma’s re-election campaign headquarters, promising to help with the campaigns for Ma and legislative candidates ahead of January’s elections.
“As a KMT member and a voter who is concerned about the economy, [I believe] President Ma’s re-election will have a positive impact on Taiwan’s interests,” he said.
Photo: CNA
Sean Lien was shot on stage while stumping for New Taipei City (新北市) Councilor Chen Hung-yuan (陳鴻源) on the eve of the special municipality elections in November last year.
He had been absent from political activities until his appearance at a campaign event for KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) in Taipei last week.
Lien Chan has expressed concern about his son’s participation in campaign activities, and said he was reluctant to see his son on the campaign stage again.
In response, Sean Lien said he would avoid campaigning for candidates on stage or canvassing the streets, but would assist their campaigns in various ways.
Ma yesterday thanked Sean Lien for his public endorsement, when they met at the KMT’s Central Committee meeting, as the president urged party unity ahead of the presidential and legislative elections.
Ma yesterday also campaigned in New Taipei City (新北市), launching a campaign headquarters in Banciao (板橋) and visiting Dharma Master Cheng Yen (證嚴法師), founder of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation.
At the launch of the campaign headquarters in Banciao, Ma once again denied meeting with bookie Chen Ying-chu (陳盈助) during a campaign visit to Chiayi in September, and said Chinese-language Next Magazine and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had fabricated the incident and were spreading rumors.
Allegations of a meeting between Ma and Chen were made on Wednesday when a Next Magazine article said Ma had held a private meeting with Chen in which he asked for a donation of NT$300 million (US$9.9 million).
“This thing is a fabrication and nonsense, but the DPP seized the chance to launch a smear campaign against me,” Ma said.
He said he had decided not to file a lawsuit against the magazine out of respect for journalistic freedom, and urged DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to discourage party members and campaign spokespeople from making groundless accusations.
“The foreign press described Tsai as a Robin Hood-like heroine, but to my understanding, Robin Hood should fight for justice, rather than spreading rumors and setting up decent people,” he said.
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