Want China Times
Date: 2015-05-18
By: Lin Su-hui and Staff Reporter

Hung Hsiu-chu, deputy speaker of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, has completed

A typically strident Hung Hsiu-chu speaks in New Taipei, May 16. (Photo/Yao Chih-ping)

the procedures to register for the presidential primary of the ruling Kuomintang, reports our Chinese-language sister paper China Times.

Hung is seen as one of the most outspoken figures within the KMT and her remarks thus far have indicated a doubling-down on the policies of the Ma Ying-jeou administration that have proven increasingly unpopular with the public over the last couple of years. Though she is thus widely seen as unelectable come Jan. 16 next year, Hung did manage to submit over 63,000 petition signatures to support her bid, more than four times the threshold of 15,000 signatures to contest the primary.

The deputy speaker said she initially announced her bid as a way to break the ice for more likely contenders than herself, but with no genuine KMT heavyweights putting themselves forward, she has proceeded to gather signatures for her own candidacy, shooting two promotional videos, opening a Facebook fan page, and launching her own website called “THE WAY.”     [FULL  STORY]