Cooperation between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP) increased yesterday as the chairmen of the two parties unveiled the four PFP legislator-at-large candidates nominated by the two parties and vowed to work closely together to win the elections next year.
The four PFP candidates -- Cheng Chin-ling (
"To achieve victory in the legislative and presidential elections, the KMT and the PFP must unite and closely cooperate. I have asked the candidates to join the KMT for complete KMT-PFP integration during the elections," PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) said yesterday at KMT headquarters.
PHOTO: CNA
Joining Soong in announcing KMT-PFP cooperation during the legislative election, KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said the two parties had discussed cooperation for six months, but declined to comment on any final merger of the two parties.
"We won't talk about a merger now and the KMT will not meddle in the operations of the PFP's legislative caucus during this session," Wu said.
In addition to the four legislator-at-large candidates, six legislative candidates were nominated via the KMT-PFP alliance.
Ko Shu-ming (柯淑敏), Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞), Wu Chin-chih (吳清池), Chung Shao-Ho (鍾紹和), Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁) and Daniel Hwang (黃義交) will join the KMT and register under the party, Soong said.
While he encouraged KMT-PFP cooperation for the elections, Soong nevertheless criticized the KMT for "deceiving voters" with its UN referendum bid and its recent removal of the "1992 consensus" from its mission statement.
"The Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] is fooling people with its UN referendum bid. [But] the KMT's bid to return to the UN under the name `Republic of China' [ROC] is also impossible. Isn't that deceptive as well?" Soong said.
Soong also expressed his disappointment with the KMT and its presidential candidate, Ma Ying-jeou (
"The PFP maintains that the ROC is the only option. Taiwanese independence is not an option for us. The PFP will not change its beliefs or alter its course for electoral purposes," he said.
During a visit to Europe last year, Ma said independence remained an option for Taiwan and has increasingly relied on pro-localization rhetoric to attract voters.
Soong denied he was targeting Ma with his remarks, but continued to called on the KMT not to forget its history and to stick to its political beliefs.
In response to Soong's criticism, Wu said the "1992 consensus" continued to be key a cross-strait policy in the party's Charter.
"But the KMT has to continue pushing the UN referendum bid, as it reflects the nation's difficult position in the international community," Wu said.
While the two chairmen declined to discuss the KMT-PFP merger, many expect the two parties will start preparations for a final merger after the new legislative session begins in February.
Asked for comment, PFP Legislator Shen Chin-hwei (
Shen said that even without KMT and PFP support she remained determined to run in the legislative election in the second district of Taichung City.
If Shen stands, she will be up against KMT Legislator Lu Shiow-yen (
In response, Marr said she had been included in the lineup because of her efforts to push for eco-friendly technology.
Approached by reporters, PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
A BETRAYAL? It is none of the ministry’s business if those entertainers love China, but ‘you cannot agree to wipe out your own country,’ the MAC minister said Taiwanese entertainers in China would have their Taiwanese citizenship revoked if they are holding Chinese citizenship, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said. Several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑) and Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜), earlier this month on their Weibo (微博) accounts shared a picture saying that Taiwan would be “returned” to China, with tags such as “Taiwan, Province of China” or “Adhere to the ‘one China’ principle.” The MAC would investigate whether those Taiwanese entertainers have Chinese IDs and added that it would revoke their Taiwanese citizenship if they did, Chiu told the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper