Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) yesterday met members of Yunlin’s local party factions in an effort to finalize the selection of the KMT candidate for the Yunlin County commissioner election.
KMT Secretary-General Chan Chun-po (詹春柏) meanwhile flew to Hualien to discuss the situation with party members after Hualien County Deputy Commissioner Chang Chi-ming (張志明) withdrew from the party to run in the election as an independent.
Wu yesterday met members of six party factions to determine a new candidate after Chang Li-shan (張麗善) withdrew her candidacy on Monday.
PHOTO: CNA
KMT Yunlin branch director Hsu Su-po (?? and Wu Wei-chih (吳威志), a professor at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, are among the party’s preferred candidates to replace Chang Li-shan.
KMT spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) said Wu had met several local politicians and party members — including Chang Li-shan’s brother, former Yunlin County commissioner Chang Jung-wei (張榮味) — over the past few days to gauge opinion before finalizing the candidate.
Chang Jung-wei was an influential factional leader in Yunlin, but the candidate he backed for the Yunlin legislative by-election, Chang Ken-hui (張艮輝), lost the poll to Democratic Progressive Party rival Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國).
Chan, meanwhile, met local politicians in Hualien yesterday.
Hualien County Commissioner Hsieh Shen-shan (謝深山), who is reportedly supporting Chang Chi-ming, was not present for Chan’s stop at county government offices.
Chan said he would discuss the situation with Chang Chi-ming and seek his support for the party’s nominee, Tu Li-hua (杜麗華).
KMT Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁), who was barred by the KMT from taking part in the primary because he was found guilty in his first and second trials in two cases, is likely to run for commissioner as well.
Chan said the party would deal with Fu according to party regulations if he joined the election.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first