Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-09
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu

will not accept the position of vice-presidential candidate or any other favor if she is forced to give up her presidential bid, reports said Friday.

The KMT is scheduled to hold a special congress by the end of this month where it will replace Hung by its chairman, Eric Liluan Chu. Hung insisted earlier she would run until the end and not accept any favors in return for a withdrawal.

Friday morning, Hung reportedly stated that she respected the decisions of the Central Standing Committee, which on Wednesday decided to hold the congress, and the decisions of that congress itself. She respected the system and would accept all decisions, but not any exchanges of favors, according to a report in the Chinese-language United Evening News.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-08
By Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said he is as miffed as the next spectator with regard to

Kuomintang’s recent brouhaha, reports said Thursday.

“Must it be Eric Chu that runs? What about New Taipei then?” Ko responded to reporters when asked about his views on the possible change to Kuomintang’s presidential candidacy.

“What is the KMT up to now?” he said, commenting on a decision that was made by the party’s Central Standing Committee on Wednesday to convene an extraordinary national party congress to discuss Hung’s replacement. The meeting was the latest phase of a sudden escalating rupture between Hung and the KMT leadership.

Ko was at a city planning forum in Taipei to discuss public housing policies when asked about the impact Chu would create on People’s First Party presidential contender James Soong if he were to run next year.     [FULL  STORY]

EQUINE TALE:Hung Hsiu-chu compared herself to a horse that volunteers to accompany goddess Guanshiyin on a pilgrimage, despite the foreseeable hardships and challenges

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 09, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday said that

presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) is still part of the KMT family, but declined to comment on his reported intention to join the presidential race.

“I have said yesterday [Wednesday] that we are all part of a family. We should communicate with each other, endeavor to forge a consensus and seek victory through party solidarity,” Chu said when asked to comment on a story shared by Hung on Facebook on Wednesday evening.

Chu also admitted he has not made enough effort in his capacity as party chairman, pledging to step up communication with Hung.

Hung shared “A Story about a Horse and a Donkey,” just hours after the KMT Central Standing Committee presided over by Chu unanimously passed a motion to hold an extempore party congress aimed at replacing Hung as the party’s presidential candidate.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-06
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – As she left for Japan Tuesday, opposition presidential candidate

Tsai Ing-wen projected calm about speculation that the ruling Kuomintang was considering replacing her rival, Hung Hsiu-chu, with its chairman, New Taipei City Mayor Eric Liluan Chu.

Several recent opinion polls have put Hung between 20 and 30 percent behind Tsai, forcing growing unease within the ruling party camp. While earlier polls have not indicated that Chu would defeat the Democratic Progressive Party leader, at least he would come closer than Hung.

Asked by reporters about the likely change, Tsai said the DPP was managing the campaign for the January 16 election in a stable way. During the process, the party is prepared for every change or eventuality that might occur, Tsai said. She emphasized she wanted to win the broadest possible support with the best possible policies and team.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-06
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

The chair of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang, Eric Chu, confirmed Tuesday he has discussed

with the party’s presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu the growing calls for her to drop out of the race and promised to assume any responsibility involved.

“As the party chair, I am duty bound. If needed, I must assume all responsibility,” he said.

Chu described his conversations with Hung as presenting her with a truthful picture of her abysmal poll numbers and public reaction to her candidacy, but he did not acknowledge he had asked her to pull out of the race.

The KMT chair said that during their discussions, Hung asked him who would carry her burden, to which he answered that he would assume full responsibility.     [FULL  STORY]

‘NONSENSE’:Chu acknowledged that opinions in the party have been divided recently, and said that he has urged members to speak their minds and exchange ideas

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 06, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday shrugged off a

media report alleging that he plans to resign as mayor of New Taipei City next week so that he can replace Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) as the party’s presidential candidate.

At a public event in New Taipei City yesterday afternoon, Chu refused to comment on “nonsense and groundless rumors.”

When asked whether he would honor his pledge to serve out his mayoral term, Chu said that he would try his best to fulfill his duties as a mayor every day.

The media storm was ignited by an article published yesterday in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper), which cited anonymous sources as saying that Chu has reached an agreement with the Presidential Office to run for president in Hung’s stead.     [FULL  STORY]