Taipei Times
Date: Sep 16, 2015
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter
Veteran activist Shih Ming-te (施明德) yesterday announced it would be impossible for him
Shih Ming-te wipes his eyes with a handkerchief yesterday as he announced that he would not stand in the presidential race. Shih failed to collect the 300,000 signatures required to stand. Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
to reach the signature petition threshold necessary to be placed on the ballot as an independent presidential candidate, effectively ending his candidacy.
“After working hard for more than three months, I have to concede that there is no way I can get over the threshold through legitimate means,” Shih said. “I poured my heart and soul into achieving the 300,000-signature threshold. I apologize to everyone who was willing to provide me with copies of their national identification cards to support me — I have let you all down.”
The Central Election Commission requires that copies of national identification cards be provided for each signatory of a petition drive.
An emotional Shih choked up as he called on the remaining presidential hopefuls to “take into consideration” his campaign pledges to maintain the cross-strait “status quo,” move toward a Cabinet system of government and redistribute wealth, reiterating his belief that reconciliation between the pan-blue and pan-green political camps is the only way for the nation to move forward. [FULL STORY]
