Outgoing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday urged supporters not to blame other KMT members for the party’s unprecedented loss in Saturday’s presidential and legislative elections, saying he must take full responsibility.
Chu made the remarks on the sidelines of a morning tea gathering for the KMT’s voluntary workers at his national campaign headquarters in Taipei to thank them for their dedication during the campaign.
“I should shoulder all responsibility. It is me who ought to take the largest share of responsibility,” he said when asked to comment on some voters’ belief that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) should be held accountable for the KMT’s landslide defeat.
Photo: CNA
As for whether he would consider staying on, Chu said his resignation took effect immediately.
“Out of respect for the KMT Central Standing Committee, I will formally deliver my resignation at an extraordinary meeting of the committee tomorrow [today]. However, technically, I have stepped down as KMT chairman,” Chu said.
Chu announced his resignation after conceding defeat to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in the presidential election by 3.08 million votes.
The committee is set to appoint a vice chair to serve as interim chairman until a chairmanship election is held, which must be done within three months.
As for whom among the hopefuls was most competent to replace him, Chu said he would respect the interim chairman’s arrangements.
Chu said the party’s next steps should be to cultivate more local-level politicians that would attract younger voters to the party, as well as to improve cooperation within the pan-blue camp.
However, there appears to be division in the party about Chu’s stepping down.
KMT Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元) yesterday posted a picture on Facebook of a proposal allegedly drawn up by Central Standing Committee members that is to be tendered at today’s meeting and wrote: “What a group of helpless ass-kissers.”
The proposal urges Chu to remain chairman, saying that he is not to blame for the election losses and he is still the person best-equipped to lead the KMT back into power.
KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) said on a political talk show that she was not impressed by Chu’s concession speech and that she only felt sorry for her peers who lost their seats.
“Chu’s performance during the election was simply preposterous. His campaign strategies and tactics were failures. He was also reluctant to accept others’ advice and made a mess in his replacement of Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) as the KMT’s candidate,” Lo said. “That is why Chu must take the largest share of responsibility for the party’s failure.”
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
PROBLEMATIC APP: Citing more than 1,000 fraud cases, the government is taking the app down for a year, but opposition voices are calling it censorship Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday decried a government plan to suspend access to Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (小紅書) for one year as censorship, while the Presidential Office backed the plan. The Ministry of the Interior on Thursday cited security risks and accusations that the Instagram-like app, known as Rednote in English, had figured in more than 1,700 fraud cases since last year. The company, which has about 3 million users in Taiwan, has not yet responded to requests for comment. “Many people online are already asking ‘How to climb over the firewall to access Xiaohongshu,’” Cheng posted on
RSS