KMT nominates candidates for year-end polls
The Kuomintang (KMT) nominated more candidates for the year-end local elections on Wednesday and approved a joint pledge requiring all candidates vying for next month’s party positions to run a clean campaign.
KMT Spokesman Lee Chien-rong (李建榮) told reporters after Wednesday’s weekly Central Standing Committee meeting that the party finalized the third wave of nominations for the year-end elections.
Former legislator Chang Li-shan (張麗善) will run in Yunlin County, Penghu County Magistrate Wang Chien-fa (王乾發) will seek re-election in Penghu County and Kinmen County Councilor Lee Wuo-shih (李沃士) will seek the county’s top position.
The party will not nominate anyone in Lienchiang County (連江縣), but instead agreed to let Lin Hui-kuan (林惠官), chairman of Matsu Liquor Factory Industry Co, Ltd, and Yang Suei-sheng (楊綏生), director of Beigan Health Office in Matsu, compete to become chief of the islands.
Lienchiang County is the official administrative title for the Matsu archipelago.
The committee meeting also approved a joint pledge and asked all candidates running in next month’s party elections to sign it.
The seven-point pledge asks the candidates not to say or do anything to damage the party’s reputation or unity. Candidates cannot attack each other during the election period and cannot establish or participate in any alliance to exchange votes.
Nor can they provide free meals, gifts, offer money or engage in any other inappropriate activities to secure election.
Aspirants cannot hold social activities or attend any privately held ones. They cannot demonstrate, protest or engage in any violent or irrational means to influence campaign activities or voting procedures. On the day of the voting, they cannot provide any services to transport voters to polling stations.
Meanwhile, outgoing KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) launched a new book to celebrate his 70th birthday.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who visited Wu at party headquarters, thanked Wu for his contribution to the party and cross-strait relations, saying his effort to establish the communication channel between the KMT and Chinese Communist Party outweighed helping the party win legislative and presidential elections.
“He always provides critical assistance at the most critical time,” Ma said. “He is an important asset and there will be many opportunities to rely on him for support.”
As Wu’s son, John Wu (吳志揚), is interested in running in the Taoyuan County magistrate election, Ma said it would become a much-told tale if Wu’s son gets elected, because Wu Poh-hsiung once served as Taoyuan magistrate.
The KMT will not finalize the candidate for Taoyuan County until the next wave of nominations.
Wu Poh-hsiung said that Ma, who is the only candidate for the chairmanship election, was set to take over the party’s helm.
The outgoing chairman called for unity, saying he hoped his decision to not seek re-election would set an example for other party members competing for party nominations in local elections.
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