The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is using every resource at its disposal -- including asking for help from religious and business leaders -- to help dissuade the numerous aspiring candidates who want to take part in the year-end elections.
Among the 152 KMT members who intend to run for a seat in the soon-to-be slimmed down legislature, only 103 have actually registered. Many of those who have not registered, according to a party official, were "talked off."
It sometimes takes special connections to talk a potential candidate out of running, a high-level party official said on condition of anonymity.
For example, in order to convince three potential candidates to not register in Taipei's second district, so that serving Legislator Justin Chou (周守訓) can remain the KMT's candidate, the party asked Buddhist Master Hsing Yun (星雲), who has a close relationship with one of the three potential candidates, to help, the party official said.
Meanwhile, in Taichung, a business leader served as the mediator between County Councilor Wang Chia-chia (
Wang's mother-in-law, Shiatzy Chen (王陳彩霞) -- a clothing designer -- is a close friend of KMT Acting Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤). Chiang asked the business leader to help convince her daughter-in-law not to run in the district.
Wang pulled out of the race.
Mayors have also had a hand in mediating as well.
Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
But in addition to human mediation, immortals are being called upon to intervene in party nominations, too.
In Miaoli County, when Li I-ting (
Buabuei is a tradition in which people consult divinities by throwing two kidney-shaped wooden blocks. One block showing upside and another showing the downside indicate the immortal's approval.
Although Li has won the god's approval, Kang decided he would risk divine wrath and insist on running anyway.
Chiu Ching-chun (
It's said that although they swore to the gods that one would run for county commissioner and the other would run for legislator, both decided to run in the legislative election.
Still, the KMT denies personal connections and money determine nomination arrangements.
Police have issued warnings against traveling to Cambodia or Thailand when others have paid for the travel fare in light of increasing cases of teenagers, middle-aged and elderly people being tricked into traveling to these countries and then being held for ransom. Recounting their ordeal, one victim on Monday said she was asked by a friend to visit Thailand and help set up a bank account there, for which they would be paid NT$70,000 to NT$100,000 (US$2,136 to US$3,051). The victim said she had not found it strange that her friend was not coming along on the trip, adding that when she
INFRASTRUCTURE: Work on the second segment, from Kaohsiung to Pingtung, is expected to begin in 2028 and be completed by 2039, the railway bureau said Planned high-speed rail (HSR) extensions would blanket Taiwan proper in four 90-minute commute blocs to facilitate regional economic and livelihood integration, Railway Bureau Deputy Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said in an interview published yesterday. A project to extend the high-speed rail from Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung to Pingtung County’s Lioukuaicuo Township (六塊厝) is the first part of the bureau’s greater plan to expand rail coverage, he told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). The bureau’s long-term plan is to build a loop to circle Taiwan proper that would consist of four sections running from Taipei to Hualien, Hualien to
The Civil Aviation Administration yesterday said that it is considering punishments for China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines for making hard landings and overworking their cabin crew when the nation was hit by Typhoon Kong-rey in October last year. The civil aviation authority launched an investigation after media reported that many airlines were forced to divert their flights to different airports or go around after failing to land when the typhoon affected the nation on Oct. 30 and 31 last year. The agency reviewed 503 flights dispatched by Taiwanese airlines during those two days, as well as weather data, flight hours
Three people have had their citizenship revoked after authorities confirmed that they hold Chinese ID cards, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said yesterday. Two of the three people were featured in a recent video about Beijing’s “united front” tactics by YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) and Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源), including Su Shi-en (蘇士恩), who displayed a Chinese ID card in the video, and taekwondo athlete Lee Tung-hsien (李東憲), who mentioned he had obtained a Chinese ID card in a telephone call with Chen, Liang told the council’s weekly news conference. Lee, who reportedly worked in
RSS