The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said that it does not plan to hold polls targeting only pan-blue supporters as a measure to assure party loyalty in the candidate nomination process for the next election, and insisted that it respects freedom of expression after party members voiced their objection to KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei’s (羅淑蕾) open criticism of the party.
Lo, a former member of the People First Party, has been a regular critic of the KMT and President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration. She often questions the KMT’s policies in political TV talk shows and has voted against the party line on a joint motion — initiated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union — to immediately stop construction of the controversial Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Gongliao District (貢寮).
KMT Deputy Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), who also serves as the deputy legislative speaker, on Tuesday accused Lo of undermining the party’s reputation with her criticism of party policies. She said yesterday that many grassroots supporters shared her concern about Lo’s outspokenness, and called on the KMT to step up its efforts to increase the party’s forward momentum.
KMT Central Standing Committee member Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) joined Hung in questioning Lo’s loyalty to the party, accusing her of being an opportunist who tries to please voters in both the pan-blue and pan-green camps.
He suggested that the KMT make adjustments to its election nomination mechanism and hold polls among only KMT supporters to nominate members with a solid support base in the pan-blue camp.
“It’s okay to question the mistakes the government makes, but non-stop criticism of your own party is an act of opportunism to please voters … Holding polls during the nomination process would eliminate party politicians who are popular outside the pan-blue camp and stop opportunists,” he said.
Lo won the party primary in 2011 over former KMT legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) and stood for the party in the legislative election in Taipei City’s Zhongshan District (中山). Chiang had complained about the primary mechanism that allowed Lo to win the polls in the district, which has a large pan-green support base, and questioned Lo’s loyalty to the KMT.
KMT spokesman Yin Wei (殷瑋) yesterday called for party unity in response to disputes over Lo’s behavior, and said the party does not have plans to change its mechanism for the primaries.
“We respect party members’ freedom of expression, although we expect them to discuss the party’s performance based on facts … The KMT has not yet launched the primary mechanism for the next election, so there are no plans to hold polls that exclude pan-green supporters,” he said.
Lo yesterday dismissed criticism of her behavior and said the party has largely ignored her support of government policies, such as imposing a capital gains tax.
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
Taipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has been
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was agreed by both sides, after Lithuania’s prime minister described a 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in Vilnius as a “mistake.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, who entered office in September last year, told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday that Lithuania had begun taking “small first steps” aimed at restoring ties with Beijing. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Since the establishment of the
RSS