Want China Times
Date: 2015-05-17
By: CNA

The chair of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang, Eric Chu, reaffirmed Saturday that he

KMT chair Eric Chu. (Photo/Yao Chih-ping)

will not run for president in the January 2016 election as the deadline to collect a registration form for the party’s presidential primary expired.

“The decision not to run has subjected me to more pressure and criticism than if I had decided to run,” said Chu, who is widely considered as his party’s best chance of beating Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party, in next year’s presidential elections. Chu said the decision not to compete does not mean he is “biding his time or fears defeat,” but rather that he is honoring his promise of serving out his second four-year term as mayor of New Taipei, as promised during the local election campaign last year.

As KMT chair, he said, he has been working to revive the party’s spirits since its crushing defeat in the local elections last November.     [FULL  STORY]