Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) was yesterday morning overheard saying that supporters of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) were “irrational.”
Chiang was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei and was apparently not aware that his microphone had been left on.
Lawmakers were scheduled to review draft amendments to the Referendum Act (公民投票法), but the meeting could not proceed because of a boycott by the KMT caucus.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Chiang and fellow KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) were discussing the party’s primary on the sidelines.
“Of course Han Kuo-yu has good momentum right now. I’ve heard that among grassroots supporters there is a 70-30 split, with 70 percent supporting Han,” Chiang said.
Lee said she had heard the same thing.
“Actually, those who support Han Kuo-yu tend to be more irrational. I also cannot say why I support him,” Chiang said, after which he and Lee’s microphones were switched off.
Within hours of local media reporting on Chiang’s conversation with Lee, Internet users had left nearly 5,000 comments on Chiang’s Facebook page.
As the page settings prevent users from posting directly to his wall, users left their comments as responses to the most recent post — an unrelated article about the government’s policy on disposable straws.
“Thank you Chiang Wan-an, for reminding everyone how ignorant and irrational fans of Han Kuo-yu are,” one user wrote.
“I used to dislike you, thinking you were too soft, but now I see that you speak the truth,” another user wrote.
Chiang yesterday afternoon told reporters at the Legislative Yuan that he only intended to urge Han’s supporters not to be driven by their emotions and to approach next year’s presidential election rationally.
Hopefully Han’s supporters would continue to back him all the way through the elections, he said.
He also spoke with other KMT legislators about how to help Han in his campaign, Chiang said.
Han supporters could best help him by remaining calm and rational throughout the campaign period, he said.
Han said he remains “very good friends” with Chiang, and that he respected Chiang for explaining his comments.
Chiang is a praiseworthy legislator whose qualities and appearance are both remarkable, Han told reporters.
Additional reporting by Wang Jung-hsiang
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