Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday clarified comments from a day earlier about his participation in the presidential election.
Wang, who is seeking the party’s presidential nomination along with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘), Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), made the remarks on the sidelines of a forum at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club in Taipei.
Wang on Saturday dismissed a rumor that he could run as vice president with Gou, saying he would seek to be president “until the very end.”
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Asked yesterday if he meant the end of the presidential election in January next year, Wang said: “Yes, of course.”
He was not aware of rumors that he would run as vice president with Gou, Wang said, adding that such reports are “completely baseless.”
Asked if he would consider holding campaign rallies — as Han plans to do on Saturday — Wang said that he would stick with his current approach.
Supporters are establishing groups across the nation and he does not feel any pressure to compete with Han, Wang said.
Separately, Gou said that he had not discussed a combined bid with Wang.
“We cooperate strategically and share the same goal of helping the KMT and the Republic of China [ROC] win,” Gou told reporters in Chiayi County.
We are good friends and are like brothers hiking up a mountain: Each must spend his own energy to reach the summit, Gou said.
Meanwhile, Han on Saturday said that he had accepted an invitation from supporters to attend a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei.
The rally on Saturday is being organized by dozens of groups of supporters, who are anxious about the future of the ROC, Han said.
His supporters believe that next year’s presidential election could make the difference between life and death for the ROC, he said.
He is grateful that they took the initiative to organize the rally and is moved by their passion and determination to safeguard the ROC, he said.
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