The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Evaluation and Discipline Committee yesterday reprimanded KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) for a controversy in the party’s legislative primary over the weekend.
KMT Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) accused Lo of using smear tactics to win the poll the KMT Taipei City branch conducted to select a legislative candidate for the Zhongshan (中山)-Songshan (松山) electoral district.
The KMT Taipei City Committee branch said it would reprimand Lo for her comments and behavior during the primary, though it would not affect her nomination process.
Lo obtained 35.97 percent support against Chiang’s 35.39 percent.
Lo said she respected the party’s decision and would do her best in the elections, adding that she would not let down the constituents of the Zhongshan-Songshan district.
Lo also said that the people knew in their hearts whether the accusations made by Chiang were true or not.
For his part, Chiang said he accepted the committee’s decision, as long as it followed procedure and was fair.
Asked if he would help Lo in her campaign efforts, Chiang said members of the same party were expected to help the nominee.
Chiang said he was leaning toward not filing a slander lawsuit against Lo, adding that the decision to be elected as a legislator-at-large was not his to make, but that of the party chairperson.
Asked to comment on rumors that New Party Taipei City Councilor Wang Hong-wei (王鴻薇) could represent the New Party in Zhongshan-Songshan, Chiang said such a move would complicate the elections.
However, Wang said she had yet to make a final decision and had not discussed the matter with New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明), adding that she would make her decision after seeing who would represent the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party.
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