With the announcement May 11 that former legislator Kuo Tien-tsai will be its candidate for mayor of Tainan, the ruling Kuomintang has completed its list of nominees for Taiwan’s year-end special municipality elections.
Pending official approval by the party’s Central Standing Committee May 12, the mayoral candidates will be incumbent Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin in Taipei City, Vice Premier Eric Li-luan Chu in New Taipei City, current Taichung Mayor Jason Hu in Taichung City, Kuo in Tainan City and Legislator Huang Chao-shun in Kaohsiung City.
The elections are scheduled for Nov. 27 in Taipei City, New Taipei City, which was upgraded from Taipei County, and Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung cities, which were created by merging their respective cities and counties.
KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung said the party’s central election center would keep its finger on the pulse of election developments, providing its candidates with up-to-the-minute analyses and other support, as well as linking arms across the five municipalities to deliver accurate and timely information on campaign issues.
King compared the challenge in southern electoral districts to a basketball game, stressing the possibility of an upset in the mercurial elections that could surprise all the experts.
Following polls and negotiations, the candidates for Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taichung and Kaohsiung had become clear early on. The central nominating review committee met May 11, with plans to finalize their nominations and continue to confer on the selection for Tainan.
After the meeting, however, King announced that Kuo would represent the KMT in Tainan, and the party decided to refer all five candidates to the Central Standing Committee May 12. The CSC moved its meeting to 5 p.m. to facilitate joint campaign activities afterwards.
Kuo said he would form his election team soon, and resign from his post as vice president of Diwan University to concentrate fully on the campaign. “This will be a tough election,” he noted, “as I’m sure all party comrades are aware. I’m counting on their full support.”
Former Legislator Lee Chuan-chiao, who had been competing with Kuo for the nomination, issued a press release announcing his withdrawal and promising to stand behind the party’s candidate all the way.
Praising Lee’s party loyalty, dedication and development of grassroots support, King said the party would draw on his talent in the future. King also expressed appreciation of incumbent Taipei County Magistrate Chou Hsi-wei’s gracious withdrawal from the race for New Taipei City.
King said he had met earlier in the day to mediate with Kuo and Lee, and both had agreed to endorse the party’s decision. (THN)