New Power Party Chair Chiu Hsien-chih voices support for President Tsai Ing-wen

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/08/06
By: Teng Pei-ju, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chairs of the New Power Party (NPP) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were set to hold talks on Tuesday (Aug. 6) about collaborating for the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for January 2020.

“As a party chair, I support President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to run for re-election,” said Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智), NPP’s chair, via a Facebook post on Monday (Aug. 5), breaking a months-long silence on the party’s preference for presidential candidate. The likelihood of the NPP nominating its own candidate is diminishing as the election nears.

NPP’s founding member and legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) announced his departure from the party last week. Since then, friction within the NPP between those inclined to collaborate with the DPP and those who want to maintain a good relationship with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who is yet to confirm his presidential bid, has come to the surface.

Lim cited a lack of consensus among the party’s executive members as the principal reason for his decision to quit the party, and openly expressed his support for Tsai. Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸), another NPP legislator, also rumored to follow in Lim’s steps and leave the party, has additionally voiced her support for Tsai.    [FULL  STORY]