Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would be an “ideal” person to represent the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in promoting cross-strait exchanges, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday.
Chiang — who has taken a leave of absence from his role as KMT chairman to campaign for re-election — made the remarks in an interview with radio talk show host Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚).
Ma would be the “most ideal candidate” to carry out exchanges across the Taiwan Strait on behalf of the KMT, Chiang said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
When Chiang registered his candidacy for KMT chairperson in Taipei on Tuesday last week, he listed as one of his five main goals for a second term the appointment of a special representative to promote cross-strait exchanges on behalf of the party.
Chiang yesterday said that he would seek Ma’s support in the upcoming election, but that he would respect the former president’s decision.
The KMT is scheduled to hold elections for its chairperson and delegates of its National Congress on Sept. 25, after they were postponed from July 24 due to a domestic COVID-19 outbreak in May.
Besides Chiang, the other candidates for KMT chair are former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) and former Changhua County commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源).
Chu, who was KMT chairman from January 2015 to January 2016, is Chiang’s main rival.
Chiang won a by-election on March 7 last year to replace former KMT chairman and vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義).
In the hour-long interview, Chiang expressed the hope that KMT members would unite after the election.
Asked about the referendums to be held on Dec. 18, Chiang said that they would inevitably have an effect on subsequent elections, as well as a competition between the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party.
As the referendums are not tied to a national election, voter turnout would be key, said Chiang, whose party initiated two of the referendum proposals.
Commenting on President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) receiving the first dose of the domestic Medigen COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Chiang said that the president had chosen to receive the Medigen vaccine, but the public should be given options besides being vaccinated with the Medigen vaccine “or having to wait.”
Separately yesterday, Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), chairman of the Broadcasting Corp of China, said that the “Blue Fighters” faction of the KMT that he is organizing is not the same as the New KMT Alliance.
The New KMT Alliance, in which Jaw was involved, was a faction of the KMT that eventually split from the party to form the New Party in 1993.
“What the KMT lacks most is enthusiasm and combativeness,” Jaw wrote on Facebook, describing the “Blue Fighters” as having a special kind of philosophy and attitude toward politics.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A tropical disturbance off the southeastern coast of the Philippines might become the first typhoon of the western Pacific typhoon season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system lacks a visible center and how it would develop is only likely to become clear on Sunday or Monday, the CWA said, adding that it was not yet possible to forecast the potential typhoon's effect on Taiwan. The American Meteorological Society defines a tropical disturbance as a system made up of showers and thunderstorms that lasts for at least 24 hours and does not have closed wind circulation.
DIPLOMACY: It is Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo’s first visit to Taiwan since he took office last year, while Eswatini’s foreign minister is also paying a visit A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today. The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility
RSS