With the endorsement of former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Lin I-hsiung (
On the last day of candidate registration for the DPP's chairmanship election, Wong unexpectedly showed up at DDP headquarters yesterday afternoon at about 4:30pm and signed up to run in the race, ahead of the 5pm deadline.
After completing her registration by submitting application forms and paying a NT$1.5 million (US$45,000) deposit, Wong made a short statement before leaving.
"I think the new chairperson should not have the colors of any internal faction. Therefore I hereby announce that I'm leaving the New Tide faction," Wong said as she was mobbed by reporters and cameramen at the exit of the headquarters.
Wong said she had not informed the New Tide faction about her decision, and she had joined the race out of her deep feelings and expectations for the party.
In her campaign statement, Wong said that her grassroots background means that she understands rank-and-file members' eager anticipation regarding the party.
If she serves as chairperson, she will try hard to win back voter support for the DPP, she said.
Wong, 59, failed in her bid to be re-elected as Changhua County commissioner in the Dec. 3 local elections.
Previously, she has served once as convener of the New Tide faction and deputy caucus whip for the DPP's legislative caucus.
Before beginning her political career, Wong was a schoolteacher for 14 years.
While Wong yesterday declined to say whether it was Lin who had persuaded her to contend for the chairpersonship, Lin did have a closed-door meeting with Wong at the county commissioner's office on Monday afternoon.
Lin also contacted DPP Legislator Hong Chi-chang (
Three DPP members registered to run in the chairpersonship race, including former secretary-general of the Presidential Office Yu Shyi-kun, DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (
Both Yu and Chai welcomed Wong's entrance to the race.
Hong, of the New Tide faction, said that although he understood that Wong's decision to run was for the good of the party, it did not necessarily mean that he would support her in the election.
Another member of the New Tide faction, DPP caucus whip William Lai (
The New Tide faction decided at a meeting last night not to endorse any specific candidate, but to allow faction members to make up their own mind.
Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康), chief convener of the faction, announced last night that he would resign from the post to take responsibility for Wong's decision to run for DPP chairperson without consulting the faction beforehand.
DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (
The Justice Alliance on Monday agreed to a resolution calling on faction members to refrain from interfering in the election.
The Welfare State Alliance faction on Monday came out in support of Chai's bid.
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
A woman who allegedly spiked the food and drinks of an Australian man with rat poison, leaving him in intensive care, has been charged with attempted murder, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. The woman, identified by her surname Yang (楊), is accused of repeatedly poisoning Alex Shorey over the course of several months last year to prevent the Australian man from leaving Taiwan, prosecutors said in a statement. Shorey was evacuated back to Australia on May 3 last year after being admitted to intensive care in Taiwan. According to prosecutors, Yang put bromadiolone, a rodenticide that prevents blood from
A Japanese space rocket carrying a Taiwanese satellite blasted off yesterday, but was later seen spiraling downward in the distance as the company said the launch attempt had failed. It was the second attempt by the Japanese start-up Space One to become the country’s first private firm to put a satellite into orbit, after its first try in March ended in a mid-air explosion. This time, its solid-fuel Kairos rocket had been carrying five satellites, including one from the Taiwan Space Agency and others designed by Japanese students and corporate ventures. Spectators gathered near the company’s coastal Spaceport Kii launch pad in Japan’s
RSS