Taipei Times
Date:  Aug 25, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday, dismissing suggestions that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is planning to replace its presidential candidate, Hung Hsiu-chu.  Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members yesterday dismissed media reports that Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) is to be replaced by KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) as the party’s presidential candidate, saying the allegations were based on unfounded rumors.

“The KMT officially selected Hung as its presidential candidate at a party congress on July 19. The party headquarters and local branches have all begun campaigning for the candidate,” KMT spokesperson Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) said.

The media reports are based on unsubstantiated rumors, she added.

Lin was referring to an article yesterday in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper), which cited a “credible anonymous source” as saying that two senior KMT officials had been sounding out several party heavyweights over their sentiment toward entering next year’s Jan. 16 election as Chu’s running mate.

The report said the two officials only resumed their current posts after Chu took over as chairman of the KMT from President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in January.