Former People First Party (PFP) legislators and supporters yesterday presented a signature drive to show their support for PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), urging him to join the presidential election.
Led by former PFP legislators Kao Chi-ming (高資敏) and Yang Fu-mei (楊富美), the group said a signature drive to support Soong’s presidential bid has collected 1185,760 signatures, and Soong should respond to the passion of his supporters by running against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Kao criticized both the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) nomination of Ma, which was confirmed by clapping from central committee members, and the DPP’s nomination of Tsai via polls as inappropriate, and said voters should have more choices in the presidential election.
“The signature drive showed the passion of Mr Soong’s supporters, and we are hoping that Mr Soong can join the presidential election and lead us to a better future,” he said.
Calls for Soong to join the presidential election have emerged after the PFP chairman indicated that he might run for president or join the legislative election to boost the PFP’s morale in the upcoming elections.
The PFP is expected to win at least 10 at-large and constituency legislative seats, and is aiming to start a “Quiet Revolution” ending bipartisan confrontation in the legislature.
On the TVBS (2100全民開講), on Friday evening, PFP legislative candidate Chen Cheng-sheng (陳振盛) said Soong has decided on his running mate. However, he did not elaborate.
Despite emerging support for Soong, however, no PFP officials or legislative candidates, including Chen and former PFP legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄), appeared at the event yesterday.
At a separate setting yesterday, PFP spokesman Wu Kun-yu (吳崑玉) said the PFP was thankful for the support, but said Soong has yet to finalize his decision on whether to join the presidential election.
New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明), who earlier this week criticized Soong’s presidential bid, saying it damaged pan-blue unity, said Kao should reveal all the names on the signature drive to prove its authenticity.
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