Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Advisory Committee member Chao Shou-po (趙守博) yesterday urged Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to quit drinking until the end of next year’s presidential election.
The performance and behavior of Han, who the KMT on Sunday officially nominated as its presidential candidate, would be under close scrutiny, Chao said at the committee’s annual meeting at the KMT’s headquarters yesterday.
The Democratic Progressive Party is determined to come out ahead in the presidential and legislative elections and to have Han recalled as mayor by Kaohsiung residents, Chao said, adding that it is Han’s responsibility to ensure that none of those things happen.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
While the KMT should assist Han in the process, the mayor must work hard and hold himself to a high standard, he said.
Running for president is different from running for mayor, or being the general manager of Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing, Chao said, referring to Han’s post before he was appointed chairman of the KMT’s Kaohsiung chapter ahead of last year’s local elections.
The KMT must help Han build a strong campaign team and improve his knowledge about national policies, foreign affairs, cross-strait relations and economic issues, he said.
Familiarity with national affairs is necessary, as Han must eventually debate President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who is running for re-election, Chao said.
“Having slogans is not good enough,” as they only work at rallies, Chao added.
Han must also improve his city government team, Chao said, adding that Han must perform his mayoral duties well, especially as the typhoon season nears.
As a presidential candidate, Han must prepare for media scrutiny of every word and action, wisely handling any controversial issues that pop up, he said.
Han should be transparent about any issues with drinking alcohol, Chao said, citing reports about the mayor’s alleged drinking problem.
“Han should quit drinking from now until the end of the presidential election,” he said. “What could be so difficult about quitting drinking?”
If Han vowed to quit drinking, it would improve the public’s impression of him, he added.
To ensure that the KMT wins next year’s elections and to keep Han from being recalled, KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) should advise Han to keep his fans under control, Chao said.
Han’s fans are loyal and passionate, but if they do not stop with their escapades, they might be alienated from the KMT and even become enemies of the party, which the KMT cannot afford, Chao added.
‘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
RSS