Pundits have predicted possible infighting within the pan-blue camp in the run-up to next year’s legislative elections after news recently surfaced that the People First Party (PFP) rejected a proposal made by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to collaborate in the nomination of candidates.
The PFP is a KMT splinter group that formed after the 2000 presidential election.
The first batch of legislative candidates announced by the PFP earlier this month includes PFP Deputy Secretary-General Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄), who plans to run in Keelung, and Taipei City Councilor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊), who is eyeing Taipei’s Nangang/Neihu (南港/內湖) constituency.
In New Taipei City, candidates announced by the PFP include former KMT lawmaker Chang Sho-wen (張碩文), who is to run for a legislative seat in the Sanchong District (三重), and media personality Hector Kang (康仁俊) running in the Banciao District (板橋).
Former legislator Chen Chao-jung (陳朝容) was also on the list, set to compete in Changhua County’s third constituency, the PFP said.
The announcement of the candidates means that the PFP and the KMT will directly compete with each other in Nangang/Neihu, Banciao and Keelung.
A source close to the pan-blue camp said that Nangang/Neihu and Keelung were the focus of negotiations initiated by the KMT, but the PFP never agreed to a proposal that candidates be selected after comparing their approval ratings in surveys.
In addition, a litany of criticism PFP members have hurled at President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and the KMT demonstrated that the proposed collaboration lacked any rationale, the source said.
The nomination of Chang, Kang and Chen was an obvious gesture by the PFP to challenge the KMT, sources said, adding that despite the PFP’s chances of winning in the three constituencies are not very high, the KMT would have to mobilize support to outmaneuver the PFP’s candidates.
The KMT said that it would consider pitting Taipei City Councilor Lee Yan-hsiu (李彥秀) against Huang, and that it might bypass a primary to nominate KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), the former mayor of Taipei, to run in Keelung.
When asked to comment on his possible opponent on Thursday, Liu said that Hau, having served two terms as Taipei mayor, should be running for president instead.
Meanwhile, Hualien County Commissioner Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁), an independent, has reportedly reached an agreement with the KMT to nominate Legislator Wang Ting-son (王廷升) instead of his protege, Hualien Deputy Commissioner Hsu Hsiang-ming (徐祥明), after Wang beat Hsu in polls.
Wang is to compete against Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) in the constituency.
However, KMT supporters said it was unclear what kind of relationship Fu has with the PFP and that the party should be wary of possible variables Fu might add to the legislative race.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
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
RSS