TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Changhua County Council Speaker Hsieh Tien-lin (謝典霖) on Sunday reiterated his opposition to his sister, Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝衣鳯), seeking the KMT’s nomination for Changhua County magistrate.
Hsieh Tien-lin said that if his sister insists on running as the KMT candidate, neither he nor their parents would support her, per SETN. He also warned that she was being naive by overlooking what he said could be potential legal repercussions associated with her candidacy.
Hsieh Tien-lin added that without family support, Hsieh Yi-feng would carry the same political weight as “a random person on the street,” per ETtoday. He also said he may consider withdrawing from the county council election if his sister refuses to abandon her bid for magistrate.
Hsieh Tien-lin said that while it is not illegal to run candidates for council speaker and county magistrate, it could create negative public perceptions, per Storm Media. He argued that there is little reason to devote significant time and resources to both races if the family is likely to win only one of them.
On the question of the KMT nomination, Hsieh Tien-lin suggested that Changhua County Magistrate Wang Huei-mei (王惠美) should oversee the selection process. He added that, considering a potential opposition coalition, either former TPP Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) or Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) could also be strong candidates.
Hsieh Yi-feng responded Saturday to reports about her family’s opposition, highlighting her lead in recent polls, per Tai Sounds. She also said that no parents would want to see their children take on the heavy burden of serving as a county magistrate.
KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) said Saturday that the party’s nomination process for the Changhua magistrate race has stalled due to divisions within the Hsieh family, per Liberty Times. Without unity within the influential family, he said, the party cannot move forward with selecting its candidate.
