TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – In response to calls by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for cooperation entailing his dropping out of the presidential race, former Premier William Lai (賴清德) reiterated his faith in the virtue of a primary that upholds the rules of democratic fair play.
Lai made the remarks at an event Friday (April 19) marking the birthday of a deity enshrined at the Baoan Temple in Taipei, when he addressed the issue of less-than-satisfactory approval ratings shared by him and Tsai, compared to those of two prominent Kuomintang figures, reports Liberty Times.
He insisted, in a repeated claim, that the decision to toss his hat into the ring was not for personal gain, but for creating better chances for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to win the presidential election next year.
Only by conducting a primary, where potential candidates are allowed to express their respective political platforms, can the DPP produce a presidential hopeful and boost party morale, the report quoted Lai, who has refused to drop his bid for the ruling party's presidential nomination.
The politician also commented on the move by the chairman of the Foxconn Technology Group to run in the KMT primary, noting that Terry Gou (郭台銘) might be an experienced business tycoon, but whether he is able to confront the challenges in democratic elections remains to be seen, wrote Central News Agency.
