Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-01-21

After suffering a crushing setback in the 2016 presidential and legislative elections, it seems that the Kuomintang (KMT) is picking itself back up again now that three heavyweight members have entered the chairmanship race scheduled for May. This is in sharp contrast with the party’s humiliating efforts to find a presidential candidate willing to challenge the DPP’s Tsai Ing-wen back in 2015. Facing an almost inevitable defeat, few figures were willing to step up to the plate.

There are more candidates for the leadership race but the list is rather disappointing to the party’s younger members. Two contenders, incumbent chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu and former Vice President Wu Den-yih, are almost 70. Another, former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, is in his mid-60s. While age is not necessarily a barrier, their vision for the country’s future has been called into question. Do they have a clear vision of Taiwan that meets the needs and expectations of the public? More importantly, do they have the ability to handle the delicate ties between Taiwan, China and the United States amidst uncertainties?

Since President Tsai Ing-wen took office last May, her DPP administration has seen its approval ratings drop, as might have been
expected. But that doesn’t give the KMT any advantage because surveys show the opposition faring badly as well, with public support remaining at a nadir.    [FULL  STORY]