Un-nominated KMT candidates display photos with mayoral hopeful Jiang Qichen

A political dispute is unfolding in Taichung, Taiwan, as several members of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, who were not selected as official nominees for the upcoming city council elections, are determined to run as independents. This situation has led to the appearance of campaign posters featuring these independent candidates alongside Taichung mayoral candidate Jiang Qichen.

One such candidate, Zhou Qiyang, stated that the campaign posters, which show him alongside Jiang Qichen, were provided by his supporters. He explained that these supporters believe in endorsing both Jiang Qichen and himself, leading to the joint display. Another independent candidate, Zhang Shuhua, has also been seen with similar posters in different districts. However, Jiang Qichen's office has stated they were unaware of the use of his image and emphasized that their sole support is for the candidates officially nominated by the party.

The KMT's Taichung branch, through its deputy director Chen Mingzhen, indicated that the use of Jiang Qichen's image is a matter of his personal portrait rights and falls outside the party's direct intervention. However, Chen Mingzhen also noted the need to consider the feelings of the officially nominated candidates within their respective electoral districts.

This internal party friction highlights the challenges faced by the KMT in consolidating support for its official candidates. While the party aims for unity, the determination of un-nominated members to contest the elections, leveraging the image of a prominent party figure, creates a complex dynamic for the upcoming polls.