New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday reiterated his pledge to serve out his term, denying speculation that he was considering standing in next year’s presidential election.
“My current step and the next will be to serve as an excellent mayor,” Chu said, when asked about his plans for the Lunar New Year on the sidelines of a visit to New Taipei City Hospital’s Sanchong (三重) and Banciao (板橋) branches to express solidarity with on-duty medical personnel.
He laughed when pressed on whether there was any chance he would run for president.
“You want me to say it again? Happy new year everyone, I will bring my work in the city government to a full and excellent conclusion,” he said.
During his campaign for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairmanship last year following the party’s crushing defeat in November’s nine-in-one elections, Chu pledged not to make a run for the presidency.
However, there has still been speculation that he might be drafted for a presidential run, with KMT legislators stating that he might need to “take one for the team” if no other candidates emerge, rather than handing the presidency on a silver platter to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Chu said that other than expressing solidarity with on-duty personnel in New Taipei City, his only other plans for the Lunar New Year holiday would be to visit city temples and attend family gatherings in Taoyuan.
Meanwhile, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is scheduled to visit 28 temples in 13 counties and municipalities over the next five days, in a move widely viewed as the opening shot of the presidential campaign she announced last week.
Asked why he had not arranged trips around the nation like Tsai, Chu said it was because he is the mayor of New Taipei City.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
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Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
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