Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Citing Wang's reservations about the signature drive, KMT legislator and Central Standing Committee member Lee Chuan-chiao (
According to Lee, he cancelled the drive because Wang expressed concern over the initiative and the impact that it might have on the party.
"He thought that it was inappropriate for me to launch the signature drive, and he was worried that the campaign might confuse some party members," he said.
Lee had planned to solicit support from fellow legislators to back Wang as KMT chairman.
However, Lee said that he would respect Wang's wishes regarding the position, and that his drive would only be effective if current party Chairman Lien Chan (
Commenting on Ma's announced intention to run in the chairmanship election, Lee said that he thought it was a good thing, and that he and Ma are good friends.
Ma, who has been dogged by the media about whether he would campaign for the job, yesterday finally said that he "is willing to give it a try" for the sake of reforming the party, cooperation between the KMT and People First Party (PFP) and the integration of the pan-blue camp.
Ma's remark followed Lien's call yesterday for talented party members to take part in May's chairmanship election, as well as year-end elections of city mayors and county commissioners.
During the party's Lunar New Year greeting yesterday, Lien, who is currently out of the country, issued a statement to his fellow party members, calling for outstanding party members to come forward and strive for nominations for the two upcoming elections.
He also pledged to continue to safeguard the national interest, serve as a gatekeeper for national wealth and the taxpayers' money and push for party reform.
When asked about Ma's remark, Wang yesterday gave Ma his best wishes and congratulations, but remained evasive on his own intentions.
Wang reiterated that he will fully support Lien if the KMT chairman decides to seek re-election, but refused to say whether he would run if Lien doesn't. He also declined to say whether, if he decides not to run, who he will endorse Ma for the position.
DPP caucus whip Lai Ching-te (
New Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus whip Lo Chih-ming (
"If the competition between Wang and Ma became too fierce, it might lead to Lien's seeking re-election," he said. "But if Lien eventually decides to let go, I think Wang would be a better choice for the party."
He also said that the KMT can only become a genuine localized political party if it lets Wang take the party's helm.
The PFP said that it had no intention of taking sides on the matter, and that it wishes the best of luck to both Wang and Ma. PFP Chairman James Soong's (宋楚瑜) show of neutrality was offset, however, by rumors yesterday that he is slated to meet with Wang tomorrow.
Before the Lunar New Year, reports indicated that Soong had refused a meeting with Ma after Ma's aides attempted to arrange one.
"I don't want to interfere with the internal affairs of any political party," Soong said, explaining that he had refused Ma's proposal to meet because he had only planned to meet with close friends and relatives over the Lunar New Year holiday.
"I had no intention of drawing Wang closer while pushing Ma away,'" Soong said.
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
THUGGISH BEHAVIOR: Encouraging people to report independence supporters is another intimidation tactic that threatens cross-strait peace, the state department said China setting up an online system for reporting “Taiwanese independence” advocates is an “irresponsible and reprehensible” act, a US government spokesperson said on Friday. “China’s call for private individuals to report on alleged ‘persecution or suppression’ by supposed ‘Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices’ is irresponsible and reprehensible,” an unnamed US Department of State spokesperson told the Central News Agency in an e-mail. The move is part of Beijing’s “intimidation campaign” against Taiwan and its supporters, and is “threatening free speech around the world, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region, and deliberately eroding the cross-strait status quo,” the spokesperson said. The Chinese Communist Party’s “threats
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