Billed as an injection of new blood into the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) is to advance to the next round of the party’s primary for next year’s legislative elections, as poll results published on Sunday showed that his rival, KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾), had failed to secure a lead of more than 5 percent.
Chiang, 37, is the son of former KMT vice chairman John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) and a fourth-generation descendant of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
The KMT’s primary election guidelines stipulate that nominations for legislative elections are given only when a hopeful has established a lead greater than 5 percent over his or her closest rival in opinion polls.
Photo: CNA
In the absence of a clear victor, aspirants vying for the same electoral district nomination can either choose to conduct negotiations among themselves or enter a primary election.
Chiang Wan-an said that he has been successful in making himself known to the public since announcing his bid on March 29 to run for the legislative seat for Taipei’s third constituency covering the districts of Zhongshan (中山) and Songshan (松山).
“At first, nobody knew who I was, with some even saying they thought that I was a woman,” he said, adding that his efforts to interact with prospective voters while they wait for garbage trucks have paid off.
He said that in the early stages of the election, where poll results are paramount, his campaign strategy is to devote the majority of his limited resources to making his name known to the public.
As the campaign advances toward the primary vote, he said that the upcoming battle is to be decided on new technological frontiers, such as the Internet and via micro-donations.
He said that he holds his rivals, Lo and KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇), in high regard, but emphasized that his greatest asset is his youth, which represents a sorely needed injection of new blood into the beleaguered ruling party — a sentiment that appears to be shared by the public.
Chiang Wan-an’s bid has been described as a quest to avenge his father’s defeat by Lo in a 2011 KMT legislative primary, a claim that he has dismissed.
Chiang said that the legislative bid is his own battle, and that his father has not taken part in the campaign — beyond from voicing support for his decision. However, Chiang Wan-an said that his father has been helping to take care of his children while he focuses on the campaign.
“My youth and my background as a lawyer are my greatest assets, as I represent a new option for the voters,” he said.
A surprised Lo said that the KMT’s electoral guidelines on a “scant” three-day opinion poll is defective, adding that she has been tireless in serving her district’s disadvantaged groups throughout her career as a lawmaker.
She added that she has obtained “some evidence” that might expose “major flaws” in the polling process, and she has informed the party leadership of her findings.
‘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
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and