The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is set to start the nomination process to select its presidential candidate today.
Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) has already thrown her hat in the ring, though KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) csaid on Friday last week that he would not be seeking the nomination.
Presidential hopefuls need to submit an application form and collect supporting signatures from 5 percent of party members. The KMT has more than 300,000 members, so potential candidates need to collect 15,000 signatures to reach the next stage of the selection process. They have 27 days to complete the process, and registration is set to take place on May 17 and 18.
The winner is selected through a combination of opinion polls and a vote by party members. The average of two polls will account for 70 percent of the final result and the party members’ vote — to be held on June 14 — makes up the other 30 percent.
Hung announced her intention to seek the party’s nomination earlier this month and called for supporters to be there when she gets the application form this morning.
Chu, who is also the mayor of New Taipei City, is widely seen as the KMT’s best chance of winning the presidential election next year. The 53-year-old said on Saturday that the KMT will nominate the candidate most likely to benefit the country and the party.
Other political heavyweights rumored to be considering a presidential run include Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).
The KMT is to nominate its presidential candidate at a party convention in mid-July.
The Democratic Progressive Party nominated Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as its presidential candidate on April 15.
The Central Election Commission last month selected Jan. 16, 2016 as the date for the presidential and legislative elections.
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