Sean Lien (連勝文), vice chairman of the National Policy Foundation, which is affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), yesterday said that he would “seriously consider” running for KMT chairman in an election that is expected to take place in July.
Lien, the son of former vice president and former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰), was the KMT’s Taipei mayoral candidate in 2014. He lost to Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who ran as an independent and was backed by the Democratic Progressive Party.
Asked in a radio interview yesterday whether he would run for KMT chairman, Lien said that before this week he had not made any plans to do so.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
However, he said that many people had encouraged him to run.
Starting yesterday, he would “seriously consider” a campaign for KMT chairman, he said, adding that he would also begin to consult community leaders on public issues.
Asked what would be the key to him deciding whether or not to run, Lien said it would depend on whether he believes he would be able to help the KMT accomplish the goals he envisions.
If he would not be able to push his vision for the party, he would not “waste time,” Lien said.
For example, if KMT members insisted that the party needed a savior-type figure, “then never mind,” he said.
Lien wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that future KMT chairpersons should not seek nomination for public office, especially the presidency.
The chairperson should be focused entirely on party affairs, he wrote.
Asked after yesterday’s radio interview when he would announce his decision, Lien said that he would first consult with his friends in the KMT.
He told reporters that his Facebook comments were an expression of his personal views, and were not aimed at any specific individual.
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), who is a legislator, on Feb. 20 announced that he would seek re-election as party chairman, and said he hoped to be a “kingmaker” who would find the strongest candidates to represent the party in the elections next year and in 2024.
Additional reporting by Sherry Hsiao
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