Politics

Reporter’s Notebook: Extempore congress exposes not only the KMT’s failings, but Hung’s as well

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 21, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) extempore party congress that took place on Saturday last week might have served its purpose — removing Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and nominating KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) to be the party’s presidential candidate — but it also served as an example of what to expect from the party: Nothing has changed in a party with a long tradition of implicit anti-democratic rules and institutions left behind after its decades-long authoritarian party-state rule.

The congress was aired live on TV. The public witnessed Hung’s candidacy rescinded by a show of hands and Chu nominated by party representatives clapping their hands. [FULL SORY]

KMT gains support with Chu as presidential candidate: poll

Taipei Times
Date: 2015-10-19
By: CNA

The ruling Kuomintang got an immediate bump in the public opinion polls

Eric Chu fields questions in New Taipei, Oct. 19. (File photo/CNA)

with its selection Saturday of its chairman Eric Chu as its 2016 presidential candidate, according to a survey by the Cross-Strait Policy Association (CSPA).

The poll showed 21.9% support for Chu, compared with 18.5% for Hung Hsiu-chu, who was replaced Saturday at a special KMT congress as the party’s presidential candidate.

However, in a match up against the two opposition party candidates, the KMT’s boost with Chu as its candidate was offset by an increase in the poll numbers for the leading candidate, Tsai Ing-wen of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). [FULL STORY]

No plans to run as Tsai’s running mate: Chen Chu

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-18
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu denied she was planning to run beside

No plans to run as Tsai’s running mate: Chen Chu. Central News Agency

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen as running mate, adding that she already has her hands tied as campaign manager, reports said Sunday.

Tsai’s national campaign headquarters was inaugurated in Taipei Sunday, as the DPP has rented the first, second, 13th and 14th floors of the Huitai Building, near its headquarters on Beiping E Road in Taipei.

“Let the presidential campaign officially begin,” Chu said in her opening speech.

When asked if she was planning to run beside Tsai next January, Chu said she has no intention to do so as she was re-elected in the local elections last year, affirming that she will fulfill her duties as campaign manager and Kaohsiung mayor. [FULL STORY]

KMT, DPP presidential candidates promise civil campaign

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/18
By: Hsieh Chia-chen, Sophia Yeh and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) Ruling Kuomintang (KMT) chairman and presidential

Chu, Tsai and Soong (L to R, front) CNA file photo

nominee Eric Chu (朱立倫) on Sunday welcomed a pledge by his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rival to end political strife and run a civil campaign.

Chui said that when he met Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Double Ten National Day celebrations on Oct. 10, “I told her that I was pleased to see her on that occasion and welcomed her presence at the National Day ceremony, hoping that this will no longer be an issue,” said Chu, who replaced Hung Hsiu-chu as the KMT’s presidential nominee a day earlier.

In an exclusive interview with CNA, Chu said he shared the view of the DPP chairwoman and presidential nominee that Taiwan’s democracy has entered an “uplifting” stage and it is time to let go of negative campaigning. [FULL STORY]

DPP’s Tsai 20 points clear: poll

BLUE SKY:In a head-to-head vote between the DPP’s Tsai and the KMT’s Chu, 54.4 percent of respondents said they would vote for Tsai while 27.2 percent for Chu

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 19, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡

People First Party presidential candidate James Soong, kneeling center, poses with children while visiting Minsiong Township in Chiayi County yesterday. Photo: CNA

英文) has retained a more than 20-point lead over the presidential candidate fielded by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), despite the party’s decision to replace Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) with KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), a Cross-Strait Policy Association poll released yesterday indicated.

Tsai was supported by 45.2 percent of those polled, giving her a 23.3-point lead over Chu who garnered 21.9 percent, with 13.8 percent of respondents backing People First Party presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜).

According to this and other association surveys, Tsai’s support is still about 40 percent, while Soong’s has dropped to a new low, giving the KMT’s presidential campaign a boost of 3.4 percentage points following its selection of Chu. [FULL STORY]

Eric Chu mulling US visit: KMT spokesman

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-18
By: CNA

Eric Chu, chairman and newly selected presidential candidate of Taiwan’s

Eric Chu at a special KMT congress in which he was selected as the new presidential candidate, Oct. 17. (Photo/CNA)

ruling Kuomintang (KMT), is considering a visit the United States, but the details are still being worked out, a party spokesman said Sunday.

In response to questions by CNA, the spokesman Yang Wei-chung said such a trip is possible and Chu is thinking about it.

Since Chu’s selection Saturday as the KMT presidential candidate in place of Hung Hsiu-chu, local media have been reporting that he may make a one-week trip to the US in November and may also visit Japan on his way back to Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Sonia Urbom, spokeswoman for the American Institute in Taiwan, said earlier in the day that the US welcomes visits by Taiwan’s presidential candidates. She was responding to a CNA question on the possibility of a US visit by Chu. [FULL STORY]

DPP heavyweights pan KMT’s selection of Chu

’SPOILED KID’:Former premier Yu Shyi-kun said Chu was only good at marketing himself and manipulating the media, and regularly broke his campaign promises

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 19, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter

While maintaining that the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) decision to

Democratic Progressive Party New Taipei City councilors yesterday hold a banner calling on Mayor Eric Chu to step down after breaking his promise not to stand as presidential candidate while still in office. Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei Times

change its presidential candidate is its own business, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) heavyweights yesterday said that the move would not help at all.

“The KMT’s decision to change its presidential candidate only a few months away from the election will have a negative impact,” said Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), who doubles as DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) campaign manager.

She was referring to the KMT’s special congress on Saturday, that selected Chu as the party’s candidate for January’s presidential election and nullified the candidacy of Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱).

“In fact, no matter who is the replacement, it will not change the fact that the public have suffered in the past eight years of KMT governance,” Chen said. [FULL STORY]

DPP councilors call for Chu to resign as New Taipei mayor

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-18
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Democratic Progressive Party called for Kuomintang Chairman Eric Chu

DPP councilors call for Chu to resign. Central News Agency

to make a formal apology to residents in New Taipei, urging him to resign as the city’s mayor before running for president, reports said Sunday.

DPP New Taipei City Councilor Cheng Jhi-long made the comment on behalf of his counterparts during an open press conference in the morning in which he criticized Chu for breaking the promise not to run next January 16.

“We demand that Chu relinquish his position as mayor and that he make a formal apology to residents in New Taipei,” he called. [FULL STORY]

Ma and Hung open KMT congress

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-17
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President Ma Ying-jeou opened the special

Ma and Hung open KMT congress. Central News Agency

Kuomintang congress Saturday with a strong call for unity, saying the party would lose if it was divided.

The main topic at the meeting was the eventual replacement of Legislative Vice Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu as presidential candidate by party chairman Eric Liluan Chu.

The aim of the congress was to find a consensus and solidarity, Ma said. He reminded his audience about the 2000 election when the KMT became an opposition party for the first time ever. Independent candidate James Soong split the KMT camp, allowing the opposition Democratic Progressive Party to win.

Hung, who was seated in the first row next to Ma’s empty seat, did not applaud with the crowd for his speech, camera footage showed. [FULL STORY]

Chu sees tough battle ahead as KMT’s new presidential candidate

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/17
By: Ta Ya-chen, Claudia Liu and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Oct. 17 (CNA) Ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said Saturday that he has a tough fight ahead and a great responsibility as the party’s new presidential candidate and wants the party to unite as it makes a fresh start.

A proposal to pick Chu as the KMT’s new presidential candidate was approved by a special party congress by means of standing ovation Saturday, three months before the Jan. 16, 2016 election.

He replaces Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), who was confirmed in July as the KMT presidential candidate but since then had been unable to narrow the huge gap between her and the Democratic Progressive Party candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文 ) in the public opinion polls. [FULL STORY]

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