The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is striving to change the opinions of young people, as polls have suggested that support from this demographic for its presidential candidate, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), lags behind his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rival, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), a KMT official said yesterday.
KMT Organizational Development Committee Youth Department Director Hsiao Ching-yan (蕭敬嚴) said that with fewer than 100 days before Jan. 11’s presidential election, it would be difficult to turn the tables in Han’s favor.
A more practical approach would be to win back the hearts of young people who once supported Han and the KMT, but drifted away from the party after the tumultuous presidential primary, Hsiao said.
Photo: CNA
Han won a lot of support in Kaohsiung’s mayoral election last year, as young people were moved after seeing the opportunities he could bring, Hsiao said, adding that recovering that lost sentiment would be the party’s next move.
People have lost track of what Han’s youth policy is, because public attention has been shifted due to Han’s talk of “phoenixes out, chickens in,” Hsiao said, in reference to comments Han made in August during a livestream discussing youth issues.
The remarks prompted criticism, as many perceived Han to be comparing migrant workers to chickens, saying that phoenixes are professionals who leave Taiwan and chickens are those who come to Taiwan to be blue-collar workers.
The party would arrange for Han to reintroduce his youth policy at forums to show his resolve to improve the lives of young people, Hsiao said, adding that Han would take on any challenge.
The youth department and Han’s campaign headquarters are to establish a support group to help him get closer to young people, Hsiao added.
The group would be headed by Li Ming-hsuan (李明璇), who hosted a forum last year at which Han talked with young workers who had relocated from southern Taiwan to the north for work opportunities.
A forum is to be held in the middle of next month in Taipei, where Han is to meet and talk with young people, and explain why he decided to run in the presidential race when he is only one year into his mayoral term, Hsiao said, adding that if the forum goes well, more would be held in central, southern and eastern areas.
While Han’s campaign team has said that it aims to win young people’s support by engaging with student clubs, Hsiao said his department would not only target university students, but everyone under the age of 30.
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