Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alex Fai (費鴻泰) has dismissed as “groundless” media reports saying that lawmakers will face difficulty being nominated in the legislative primaries next year if KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien (連勝文) fares poorly in Saturday’s election.
“The media reports are groundless,” said Fai, who also serves as acting director of the KMT’s Policy Committee.
Chinese-language media have reported that sources within the ruling party cited President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is also KMT chairman, as saying that if Lien does not do well, the party “will not dissuade newcomers from taking part in the legislative primary.”
In that scenario, lawmakers seeking re-election would have to compete against the newcomers, which is why legislators are fighting tooth-and-nail to stump for Lien, the reports said.
Fai said he telephoned Ma after reading the claims and described the president’s reaction as one of shock, saying Ma had been unaware of the story.
Fai said KMT legislators are campaigning for Lien because they have a strong sense of duty, not out of fear that they will have to face primary challengers next year.
KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said the reports are “grotesque and preposterous,” adding that the party’s primaries — which are largely based on public opinion polls — are fair and the right of nomination does not lie with Ma.
“Democratic politics is party politics. The KMT legislators will definitely campaign for Lien, as Lien has been nominated by the party,” Lai said.
KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said he has not received threats of not being nominated next year, either from the party or from Ma, adding that the issue is instead one of “saving face.”
If Lien ends up lagging far behind his main rival, independent Taipei mayoral candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), in a legislator’s constituency, then that lawmaker would “lose face,” making it hard for them to seek re-election.
Lien said he was “unaware of the claims in the reports” and expressed his gratitude that KMT legislators are doing everything they can to support him.
KMT legislators have accompanied Lien on his recent visits to Taipei’s 12 administrative districts in a bid to help him connect with voters in their constituencies.
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