Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday denied a report that he plans to run for mayor of Taoyuan in next year’s local elections.
In a report published on Monday, NOWnews.com cited a source based in Taoyuan as saying that Chiang and his aide KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director-general Cheng Chao-hsin (鄭照新) in April repeatedly met with Taoyuan city councilors.
Two weeks ago, Chiang told several key local figures at a meeting in Taoyuan that he was considering running for mayor, the report said, citing an anonymous source.
Asked to comment on the report in a radio interview yesterday with Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚), Chiang said that the report was false and accused the reporter of having an ulterior motive.
“As the chairman of the party, it is normal for me to go everywhere,” Chiang said.
He had attended fewer events and meetings in Taoyuan than in other cities and counties, he said.
Asked which candidate he planned to nominate to represent the KMT in the Taoyuan mayoral election next year if he is re-elected KMT chairman, Chiang said that the party would have a nomination procedure approved by the KMT Central Standing Committee.
He declined to say who he thought would be a good candidate for the position.
Chiang was sworn in as KMT chairman on March 9 last year after defeating former KMT vice chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) in a by-election to replace former KMT chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義).
Chiang on Feb. 20 announced that he would be seeking re-election in a KMT chairperson election, which was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday last week, but was postponed due to a domestic COVID-19 outbreak.
At a weekly meeting today, which is to be held in-person after weeks of videoconferences due to a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert, the KMT Central Standing Committee is expected to discuss arrangements for the postponed election.
Earlier in yesterday’s interview, Chiang said that he would respect the committee’s decision regarding when to hold the election.
Asked which date he would prefer for the election to take place, Chiang said that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the matter before the committee meets today and that he did not want his opinion to influence its decision.
The KMT is to elect not just a new chairperson, but also new delegates to its National Congress, he said, urging the committee to engage in careful discussion and to explain any decision.
Asked whether he thinks former KMT chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) would challenge him for leadership of the party, Chiang said that he did not know, but “anyone can run.”
Chiang also declined to say who he thought might be his strongest opponent in his bid for re-election.
Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), former Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics director-general Wei Po-tao (韋伯韜), former Changhua County commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源) have also said they would participate in the chairperson election.
Chu, former Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and National Policy Foundation vice chairman Sean Lien (連勝文) are also seen as possible contenders.
Additional reporting by CNA
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS