KMT chairman: Township mayors barred from running to prevent division in county chief race

Hsiao Ching-tien, chairman of the KMT's Changhua County chapter, announced that township mayors will not be permitted to run for office independently. This decision aims to prevent internal divisions within the Kuomintang (KMT) party and bolster the county chief candidacy of Wei Ping-cheng.

Hsiao acknowledged that Wei Ping-cheng, who was nominated by the KMT on May 13, started his campaign later than anticipated. However, he expressed satisfaction with the current progress, stating that the campaign is meeting its strategic goals. Hsiao believes the strategy of "mother hen leading chicks," where the main candidate supports local contenders, will be effective. He emphasized that the election is not immediate and there is ample time to improve Wei's standing, with a key period being the lead-up to the candidate registration deadline at the end of August.

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We have evaluated it, and allowing open candidacies is detrimental to the county chief's election prospects, because openness is equivalent to splitting the blue camp.

Hsiao further explained that opening up candidacies for township mayors could fragment the KMT's support base. He asserted that such a move would lead to internal competition, potentially alienating supporters and hindering the "one-line" push needed for unified campaigning and rallies. Therefore, from the party's perspective, avoiding division is crucial to prevent negative impacts on Wei Ping-cheng's overall election prospects.

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If they compete with each other without friendliness, it will inevitably affect each other's supporters, and it will be difficult to achieve a unified push for the county chief later.