The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday unveiled its first-round nomination list for the legislative elections, announcing its potential candidates in 40 electoral districts, with little competition for the candidates.
Of the 40 candidates, Cabinet spokesman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) will represent the party to run the election in Greater Taichung. Former Taiwan Solidarity Union legislator Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) and former independent legislator Chen Chao-ming (陳超明), both from the pan-green camp, will represent the KMT in Pingtung County and Miaoli County respectively.
The list was approved by the KMT’s Central Standing Committee in its weekly meeting yesterday. The party will complete the second phase of the nomination process on May 11 and the final phase on May 25.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
KMT Culture and Communication Commission director Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) said the party would negotiate with prospective candidates and conduct public opinion polls to determine final candidates. Su, who had registered with the party to run in Taoyuan County, did not appear on yesterday’s nomination list. He declined to confirm the KMT’s alleged plan to appoint him to run in Greater Tainan, one of the “difficult” electoral districts for the party.
“I would respect the KMT’s overall consideration, and as a party member, I would do my best if the party were in need in difficult electoral districts,” he said.
He also dismissed the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) challenge of the KMT’s choice of Chiang, who the DPP said lacked political experience and popularity in Taichung.
“Pride goes before a fall, and the DPP should focus its attention on its own candidates. The KMT has full confidence in Chiang’s performance in the election,” he said.
In response to the combination of the legislative and presidential elections, Su said the KMT’s consistent stance is to respect the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) decisions.
“The combined elections have pros and cons, and the KMT -respected the CEC’s decision,” he added.
The KMT is expected to formally announce President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) as the party’s presidential candidate on May 4, in accordance with the party’s nomination process. Ma, the only KMT member who registered to seek the party’s presidential nomination, is likely to complete the registration process this weekend.
With the date for the presidential election to be moved forward, Ma will speed up his preparation for the election and set up his campaign office next month. Former KMT secretary-general King Pu-tsung (金溥聰), who is participating in the party’s nomination process, will serve as his campaign manager.
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
A relatively large earthquake may strike within the next two weeks, following a magnitude 5.2 temblor that shook Taitung County this morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. An earthquake struck at 8:18am today 10.2km west of Taitung County Hall in Taitung City at a relatively shallow depth of 6.5km, CWA data showed. The largest intensity of 4 was felt in Taitung and Pingtung counties, which received an alert notice, while areas north of Taichung did not feel any shaking, the CWA said. The earthquake was the result of the collision between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate, the agency said, adding
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