Independent presidential candidate James Soong (
Chung, who is of Hakka heritage, on Thursday announced his decision to resign his post and withdraw from the KMT.
Soong said he understood that Chung's remarks in his resignation statement reflected what was on many voters' minds.
In a written resignation statement, Chung said the KMT was "casting right and wrong aside" and characterized the presidential election as "just a prolonged battlefield in the KMT's internal power struggle.''
Soong echoed Chung's remarks by saying that some high-ranking KMT officials had cut themselves off from grassroots opinions.
"I have come to understand that the KMT is not only facing difficult challenges now, but that there is also a huge gap between top party officials and local communities,'' Soong said.
Using the issue of the preservation of Hakka culture as an example, Soong said that the KMT only speaks of the issue "reluctantly" and then only when election time approaches.
Soong said that while he did not have a chance to meet with Chung yesterday, he looks forward to working with him in the future.
Soong campaign officials said that if Chung joins their camp, they believe that Chung, Miaoli County Magistrate Fu Hsueh-peng (
According to government statistics, Hakkas account for around 12 percent of the 15 million eligible voters nationwide.
In related news, Soong visited several earthquake-stricken areas of Nantou County yesterday, where heavy rains have caused landslides and flooding.
He donated NT$100,000 to help local irrigation workers in Nantou County prepare for future rainstorms and proposed setting up a Cabinet-level special committee to handle recent storm-related problems and coordinate government functions.
"Although at the moment I don't have any official title and therefore cannot do very much to help in the relief efforts, I promise you I will offer you better treatment in the future,'' Soong said to those who have suffered from the recent storms.
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has died of pneumonia at the age of 48 while on a trip to Japan, where she contracted influenza during the Lunar New Year holiday, her sister confirmed today through an agent. "Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us," Hsu's sister and talk show hostess Dee Hsu (徐熙娣) said. "I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to
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