Politics

KMT says turnout shows new vigor

THREE PROCESSIONS:The rally was divided into three parts, with Ma Ying-jeou, Eric Chu and Jennifer Wang leading the way, while US pork imports were a focus

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 10, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Tens of thousands of supporters of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)

President Ma Ying-jeou, center wearing dark glasses, leads a rally of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

President Ma Ying-jeou, center wearing dark glasses, leads a rally of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

yesterday took to Taipei’s streets to drum up support for KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) and legislative candidates in a march calling for the stability of Taiwan.

Waving the Republic of China (ROC) national flags and Chu’s “One Taiwan” campaign flags, party supporters joined several KMT heavyweights in a rally that included three processions setting out between 2pm and 2:30pm.

The march organizer said that about 200,000 people attended the rally, but the Taipei City Police Department estimated the number of participants at 67,000.

The first procession, dubbed “the power of hope,” was led by Chu, his running mate, Jennifer Wang (王如玄), and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). It started from the front gate of National Taiwan University.     [FULL  STORY]

Chu contrasts own policies with rival’s proposals

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-08
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang presidential candidate Eric Liluan Chu

Chu contrasts own policies with rival’s proposals.

Chu contrasts own policies with rival’s proposals.

emphasized the differences between his own policy proposals and those of his main opponent in his final televised policy presentation Friday before the January 16 elections.

The election is not about changing the person in charge, but about changing the right person, not the wrong person, because otherwise we will not know how the future of Taiwan will turn out, Chu said.

Attacking his Democratic Progressive Party rival Tsai Ing-wen, he described the past eight years as a period of opposition boycotts and protests without constructive proposals. The lack of response from the DPP could make voters doubt whether the party was ready to govern, he said.

Chu also emphasized the recent proposal to have a new Cabinet based on the majority in the new Legislative Yuan shortly after the election.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai to initiate multi-party talks if elected

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/08
By: Chang Min-hsuan and Lilian Wu

Jan. 8 (CNA) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai 201601080036t0001Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Friday that if elected she will invite all political parties for talks on maintaining political stability before her inauguration more than three months later.

“If I’m elected president, I will invite all political parties for talks to maintain stability in the four months (before Inauguration Day on May 20),” Tsai said.

She said she will form a team to manage the transfer of power after the election and establish a coordination mechanism with the government on major policies.

Tsai criticized Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) for proposing that the party with the majority in the new Legislature, which begins its session on Feb. 1, be allowed to form a new Cabinet.     [FULL  STORY]

Chen heads massive motorcade rally in Taipei

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-07
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

With just nine days to Taiwan’s general elections, Democratic Progressive

Chen heads motorcade rally in Taipei.

Chen heads motorcade rally in Taipei.

Party vice presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen made swept through the streets of Taipei with its massive motorcade in the morning to campaign for more votes, reports said Thursday.

DPP Taipei Chapter chairman Huang Cheng-kuo pointed out that the party aims to secure at least two legislative seats in Taipei, “but hopes to grab three or four,” he added.

Chen’s motorcade was joined by DPP legislative candidates Pasuya Yao and Rosalia Wu, including independent candidates Lee Ching-yuan, Billy Pan, and New Party Power candidate Freddy Lim.

Prior to setting off in the morning campaign, Chen told reporters that he is calling on voters can show their support for the DPP by casting “1” in the ballot box for party support, and “2” for presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen.     [FULL  STORY]

Hung weighs KMT chairperson run

UP IN THE AIR:Hung Hsiu-chu said her decision would depend on whether Chu decided to step down if he lost the election, and on who else ran for the post

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 08, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday said that she is still seriously pondering whether to vie for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) chair, a post that would likely be left vacant by KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) should he lose the election on Saturday next week.

Hung made the remarks during a morning interview with POP Radio yesterday, during which she was asked who would take over the helm of the KMT after the party’s anticipated defeat in the upcoming presidential and legislative elections.

“First, it depends on whether Chu, the KMT’s incumbent chairman, would step down following the race,” Hung said.

In the event that Chu loses by only 200,000 votes or the KMT manages to maintain a satisfactory number of legislative seats, some party comrades might think that Chu should remain on the post,” Hung said.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai urges supports to guard against opponents’ tricks

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-05
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Opposition Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen

Tsai urges voters to guard against tricks.

Tsai urges voters to guard against tricks.

Tuesday urged supporters to guard against opponents’ three last-ditch tricks—money, smear campaign and threat—in the run-up to the polling day.

Tsai made the statement while she was rooting for Lee Kun-tse, one of DPP’s legislative candidates in Kaohsiung.

Tsai said she hopes all 17 DPP legislative candidates in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City, Kaohsiung City and Pintung County to win the election to ensure a majority of DPP seats in the Legislature.

She urged supporters to stand firm in their support for the DPP and guard against opponents’ dirty tricks of money, smear campaign and threat that they usually resorted to in the run-up to the polling day.      [FULL  STORY]

Over 300 candidates registered for legislative elections

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/05
By: Tai Ya-chen and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) More than 300 candidates will vie for 73 directly elected 17176579seats in Taiwan’s Legislature in national elections on Jan.16, over 30 percent more than four years ago, the Central Election Commission announced on Tuesday.

A total of 354 district legislative candidates — including those from the ruling Kuomintang and the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party — have registered to compete to represent Taiwan’s 73 electoral districts, compared with 269 in the 2012 elections.

Several new parties have also nominated candidates in the legislative elections, including the New Power Party, the Minkuotang, and the Faith and Hope League.

Many of the parties were formed in 2015 because of dissatisfaction with the performances of the existing major parties.     [FULL  STORY]

Promise to raise basic wage can be realized for sure: candidate

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/04
By: Wen Kuei-hsiang and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Jan. 4 (CNA) The running mate of Kuomintang (KMT) presidential 201601040033t0001candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) reaffirmed on Monday Chu’s promise to raise the minimum wage to NT$30,000 (US$907) per month over four years if elected and to NT$22,200 from the current NT$20,008 in the first year after elected.

“This is a concrete promise, which can definitely be realized,” Wang Ju-hsuan (王如玄) said in a televised presentation of political platforms organized by the Central Election Commission for vice presidential candidates to detail their tickets’ agendas.

Wang, who headed the Council of Labor Affairs from 2008 to 2012, said Taiwan’s low wages, especially for young workers just starting out in the workforce, will be one of the key policies she will assist Chu in carrying out if elected.

They want to create a positive circle, in which not only enterprises can generate profits but employees can also earn a reasonable share of those profits, she said.     [FULL  STORY]

Chen emphasizes food safety, biotech during second VP presentation

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-04
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Democratic Progressive Party vice presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen

Chen emphasizes food safety and biotech.

Chen emphasizes food safety and biotech.

again panned the Kuomintang for mudslinging its presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen and for twisting her views over pork imports.

Chen’s comments came during Monday’s second televised vice presidential presentation whereby he reasonably and intelligently refuted all of KMT’s charges, while confidently explained his and Tsai’s positions on issues citizens care very dearly about, like the future of the nation’s youth and food safety.

At the start of the evening’s event, the DPP candidate opened his speech by saying the government should be more proactive in dealing with food safety concerns.     [FULL  STORY]

Hsu vows to improve Internet environment, promote public housing

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/04
By: Lu Hsin-hui, Wang Cheng-chung and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Jan. 4 (CNA) Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩), the vice presidential candidate on 201601040034t0001the People First Party (PFP) ticket, promised during a televised policy platform presentation on Monday to improve the country’s Internet environment, promote public housing and improve law and order if elected.

Hsu, who is the running mate of PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), said she and Soong support improving Taiwan’s Internet development environment through measures such as strengthening broadband infrastructure and establishing an Internet service exchange center.

On housing policy, Hsu proposed setting up an agency in the central government to build, manage, rent and sell public housing as well as to promote urban renewal.     [FULL  STORY]