TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT Vice Chair Hsiao Hsu-cheng (蕭旭岑) rejected on Tuesday rumors suggesting the party’s candidates in major municipalities are refraining from campaigning with party Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文).
A KMT campaign insider told the Liberty Times that Cheng’s failure to hold onto her NT$380 billion (US$12 billion) special budget proposal reflected her inability to extend influence beyond party headquarters, per Liberty Times. The insider added that Cheng’s lack of grassroots support meant that candidates are unlikely to campaign with her, unlike Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) or Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕).
The insider suggested that the party could lose up to three county magistrate and mayoral seats.
Hsiao rejected the claims, suggesting that opposition figures support Cheng’s argument for the NT$380 billion proposal, per ETtoday. He suggested that the disagreements voiced within the KMT stemmed from what he believed to be a tolerant atmosphere in the party.
Among the KMT magistrate and mayoral candidates, three have invited Cheng to campaign with them, per Liberty Times. When asked whether they would invite Cheng to campaign with their candidates, campaign officials from seven other magistrate or mayoral candidates failed to give a clear-cut answer.
However, the recently nominated KMT Changhua County magistrate candidate Wei Ping-cheng (魏平政) expressed willingness to campaign with Cheng. The party directly nominated Wei over other candidates seeking nomination, causing wide backlash among local KMT supporters.
Former vice presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), who has repeatedly clashed with Cheng in recent times, previously called on Cheng to respect the party’s autonomy concerning the special defense budget, per UDN. He warned on May 8 that Cheng may risk becoming isolated if she does not respect party lawmakers.
Jaw also urged KMT municipal candidates on Saturday to focus on the upcoming local election and disregard commands from party headquarters, per UDN. He noted that some candidates who were leading their opponents have seen a downward trajectory in their polling numbers.
DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) weighed in on the story, per ETtoday. He said that while he does not know whether Cheng was able to influence people outside the party’s headquarters, he believed she was having an impact on the party.
Chuang noted that Cheng used to call for the annihilation of the KMT when she was a DPP member.
