《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Wang nixes reported plot to change KMT primary

UNINTENDED? Wang Jin-pyng said he would not comment on the proposed plan and denied that its supporters were reacting to his ‘change of attitude’

By Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

請繼續往下閱讀...

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng （王金平） has called a halt to plans by some leading Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） members to erect more roadblocks to Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu （洪秀柱） securing the party’s presidential nomination.

As many as 19 KMT Central Standing Committee members planned to propose a change to opinion polls that are Hung’s next hurdle in her candidacy to make it more difficult for her to succeed, local media reported.

At present, she must win the support of 30 percent of the respondents to the polls.

Committee members were reportedly planning to propose a more difficult option at its regular weekly meeting today.

Asked about the reported proposal, Wang said that he had called the members involved and asked them not to proceed.

“[We] should allow the primary to continue,” he said.

The proposal would reportedly add a second poll asking participants to rate the “A-list” KMT politicians — Wang, KMT Chairman Eric Chu （朱立倫） and Vice President Wu Den-yih （吳敦義） — against Hung.

Wang said he would not comment on the proposed plan and denied that its supporters were reacting to his “change of attitude” on Sunday, when he said he would accept the responsibility of running for the presidency if drafted by the party.

Hung also dismissed a rumor that she would withdraw from the primary so Wang could be “enlisted” if she were assured the role of legislative speaker.

“I want to make it clear: If I meet obstacles in the process and fail to win the competition, I will retire ‘nakedly,’ without accepting any position,” she said.

She criticized those calling for changes to the rules.

“Isn’t it pretty dangerous to constantly change parts on a moving train,” she said. “It looks bad [for the primary] if someone keeps throwing new obstacles onto the tracks.”

In a TV interview yesterday afternoon, Hung said that her fundraising campaign has collected close to NT$10 million （US$319,468） from small donors, reiterating that she would not accept money from the party.

“If corporations want to donate, I would consider the options,” she said.

Asked whether she would accept “mediation” from the party if she wins 30 percent support in the primary opinion poll, she said: “Would there be a reason for me to accept mediation?”

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES