South China Morning Post
Date: 10 Jun, 2019
By: Lawrence Chung
- Candidates announced in what is being seen as a showdown between the self-ruled island’s pro-independence and pro-unification camps
- Popular Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu is ahead of other potential contenders – including Tsai Ing-wen – in most opinion polls
Supporters of Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu, from the Kuomintang, hold Taiwanese flags during a campaign event in Taipei on June 1. Photo: AFP
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang have begun selecting their presidential candidates, setting the stage for a showdown between the self-ruled island’s pro-independence and pro-unification camps.
The independence-leaning DPP on Monday announced the start of its primaries to choose between President Tsai Ing-wen and former premier William Lai Ching-te
to contest the January election.
“Whoever wins the primaries being held from Monday to Friday will represent the party and run in the 2020 presidential poll,” DPP spokesman Chou Chiang-che said, adding the primaries would be based on public opinion surveys and the results would be announced on June 19.
The mainland-friendly KMT meanwhile announced five candidates for its primaries, based on public opinion surveys to be held between July 5 and July 15, with the results to be made public on July 16. [FULL STORY]
