TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Rival candidates in the KMT's Hsinchu County magistrate primary traded allegations Monday and Tuesday, with each calling on the other to withdraw.
KMT Legislator Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) urged the party to investigate her opponent, Hsinchu County Deputy Magistrate Chen Chien-hsien (陳見賢), over allegations related to his past, per Newtalk.
Documents circulating online in recent days allege Chen's involvement in organized crime, which he has strongly denied, per Storm Media. Chen has previously described his 1985 incarceration as political persecution, noting that the Gangster Prevention Act used at the time was later declared unconstitutional, per TVBS.
Citing Chen's clean criminal record, his campaign accused Hsu of spreading false information and violating party rules governing the primary. Chen also accused Hsu of bribery, called on her to withdraw, and urged the party to impose strict disciplinary measures.
Hsu, meanwhile, questioned whether Chen had fully disclosed his past, arguing that party candidates should be held to a higher standard than legal requirements. In response, KMT Culture and Communications Committee Chair Yin Nai-chin (尹乃菁) said Chen remains eligible to compete for the party’s nomination, per Newtalk.
Yin said the KMT had updated its internal rules after the Gangster Prevention Act was struck down as unconstitutional.
Hsu reiterated her concerns, citing documents that she said suggested Chen may have been involved in fraud, violent crime, and swindling, per UDN. She argued that party rules for the 2026 local elections allow disciplinary action if allegations are deemed damaging to the party's reputation, per UDN.
She also rejected Chen's bribery accusations as unfounded and denied speculation that she might run as an independent, per TVBS.
Political commentator Huang Yang-ming (黃揚明) called on Chen to address the allegations in detail. He warned that the accusations could become a line of attack for the DPP if Chen secures the nomination.
A recent FTNN poll found both Hsu and Chen would defeat potential DPP candidate Zhubei Mayor Cheng Chao-fang (鄭朝方), with leads of 15.7 and 14.4 percentage points, respectively. In a head-to-head matchup, however, Chen led Hsu by 2.6 points.
The poll showed Chen leading among KMT and DPP supporters, while Hsu performed better among TPP supporters and independent voters.
Conducted March 18-19 with 1,082 respondents, the poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.98 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
The KMT primary will use a mixed system, with 70% based on public polling and 30% on surveys of party members. Hsu questioned the reliability of the latter, citing Chen's previous role as head of the KMT's Hsinchu County branch. She later retracted her criticism.
