Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Justin Huang (黃健庭) resigned yesterday to run in the upcoming Taitung County commissioner election, making him the seventh lawmaker in the current legislature to fail to complete his legislative term.
Huang told a press conference that he became fully dedicated to the election after voters in Taitung questioned why he continued to serve as a lawmaker while eyeing the election.
Huang said he hoped to fight a clean battle with his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rival. The DPP nominated Liu Ti-hao (劉櫂豪) for the Jan. 21 election. Huang also dismissed media speculation that he tendered his resignation because he had made an under-the-table deal with KMT headquarters.
Local media speculated that the KMT had said it would nominate Taitung County Commissioner Kuang Li-chen (鄺麗貞) for the legislative by-election after Huang resigned to run for the commissioner election.
On Friday, Kuang announced that she was giving up her reelection bid and wished Huang success.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said he did not know if there was any deal between Huang, Kuang and the KMT.
Despite Huang’s resignation, KMT legislators Chiu Ching-chun (邱鏡淳) and Wong Chung-chun (翁重鈞), who will both run in the year-end city and county elections, said they would not follow suit.
At a separate setting yesterday, KMT Secretary-General Chan Chun-po (詹春柏) denied that Huang resigned in exchange for the nomination of former Taitung County commissioner Wu Chun-li (吳俊立) in the by-election to fill his seat.
“Huang made the decision to show his determination to serve Taitung residents and the party will make every effort to campaign for him and help him win the election,” Chan said.
Chan said the party never encouraged candidates of local government head elections to resign as legislators.
KMT spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) said the party respected Huang’s decision and denied that the party had persuaded him to quit.
“It is Huang’s decision to resign and it doesn’t represent the KMT’s position,” Lee said.
The KMT will start the primary process for the Taitung legislative by-election after the Taitung County Election Commission determines the date for the by-election, Lee said.
Wu Chun-li said he had no immediate plan to run in the by-election.
Asked whether his ex-wife, incumbent Taitung County Commissioner Kuang, was interested in joining the by-election, Wu Chun-li said he did not know.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as