Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) is still a strong option for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential nomination for next year’s election despite limited public attention compared with other KMT presidential aspirants, sources close to the party said.
Although Wu has been tight-lipped on his potential bid for the presidency, his attitude remains a much-speculated topic, the sources said.
People close to Wu said that he is a naturally gifted politician capable of skillful political calculation, which makes him a qualified candidate for the party’s primary, adding that Wu is of a different political background to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in terms of their engagement with voters at the grassroots level.
Photo: Chen Feng-lee, Taipei Times
The sources said Wu has put a lot of effort into building his presence at the grassroots level, and that he has close ties with borough wardens and local officials because he is able to remember their names after meeting with them only once.
Wu’s ability to control electoral campaigns has been underestimated, the sources said, citing KMT victories under Wu’s leadership as the party’s acting chairman in last year’s council speaker elections shortly after Ma stepped down as KMT chairman, following the party’s rout in the nine-in-one local elections.
“Wu’s rare political adroitness, coupled with his vice-presidential and administrative experience, give him an edge over other KMT presidential aspirants, including New Taipei City Mayor and KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平),” the sources said.
However, Wu’s approval rating is lower than Chu’s and Wang’s in all opinion polls so far, and he also trails the two when polled against Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), they said.
Wu’s close connection with Ma is another electoral disadvantage, they added, since Wu, as Ma’s deputy, has suffered from the negative publicity associated with Ma’s flailing reputation.
“I’ll thrive if Ma does, and I’ll wither if Ma does,” Wu once said about his relationship with the president.
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