TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT veteran Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康) said Friday he will not run for party chair unless Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫), and former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) choose not to enter the race.
Jaw was recently appointed to the KMT Central Evaluation Committee by Chu, alongside former National Taiwan University President Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔), per UDN. This appointment gives both men eligibility to run for party chair. Kuan, however, immediately clarified he has no intention of participating.
Jaw said he told Chu that Lu, Hau, and Chu himself were more suitable candidates, per CNA. He reiterated that he would only consider running if it became “absolutely necessary.”
Jaw suggested that Hau appears interested in running but must carefully consider his position. He also responded to former Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan’s (卓伯源) call for Hau to withdraw from the race, saying Hau has made efforts to mend his relationship with former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), per Tai Sounds.
Cho, citing Hau’s past conflicts with Ko, argued the TPP-KMT alliance could be jeopardized if Hau becomes party chair, per Newtalk. He urged Hau to step aside and allow the next generation to take the lead.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui (游淑慧), a former aide to Hau during his Taipei mayoralty, defended Hau’s record, per ETtoday. She said Hau supported former President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) efforts to build a KMT-TPP alliance during the 2024 presidential race, despite personal tensions with Ko.
Yu added that cooperation with the TPP will continue regardless of who becomes KMT chair, but emphasized that party reform is also crucial to meeting future political challenges.
TPP Taichung City Councilor Chiang Ho-shu (江和樹) also defended Hau, noting that Hau publicly supported Ko and criticized the ongoing legal proceedings against him, per NOWnews.
Chiang said Taichung has already demonstrated that a KMT-TPP alliance can function effectively, and pointed to the 2026 local elections as the next testing ground. So far, nine individuals have formally declared their candidacies for KMT chair:
- Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強)
- Sun Yat-sen School President Chang Ya-chung (張亞中)
- Central Standing Committee member Sun Chien-ping (孫健萍)
- Former Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源)
- Former Legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文)
- Former Deputy Secretary-General Chang Ya-ping (張雅屏)
- Changhua County Council Speaker Hsieh Dian-lin (謝典林)
- Lawyer Li Han-jung (李漢中)
- Former National Assembly Member Tsai Chih-hung (蔡志弘)
