Update: 2:50 p.m. May 17
During a meeting of the KMT's central committee on Wednesday afternoon, KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) announced New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) was selected to serve as the party's presidential candidate for the 2024 election.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kuomintang (KMT) is expected to announce on Wednesday (May 17) that New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) will be its presidential candidate, while Foxconn founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) will be nominated as its vice presidential candidate.
Over the past two days, KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) privately met with Hou and Gou and reportedly informed them of the party's decision. At a regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday afternoon, the KMT's central committee is expected to formally announce Hou as their presidential candidate, reported Up Media.
A source familiar with the matter told the news agency that although Gou is still unable to accept the party's choice for presidential candidate, in order to promote internal unity within the blue camp, Chu and the central committee hope Gou will accept being Hou's running mate. This is seen as a way of sharing political power and preventing the party from repeating the same mistakes and falling into a crisis of internal division.
The central committee has arranged for KMT leaders from northern Taiwan to deliver speeches in support of Hou on Wednesday afternoon. This includes Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑), Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng (張善政) and others.
Chu reportedly first informed Gou of the decision on Monday evening (May 15) before having a brief meeting with Hou on Tuesday morning (May 16). According to a source familiar with the matter, Chu informed the two prospective candidates of the level of support for each among county and city officials and legislators within the party.
Chu and KMT Secretary-General Huang Chien-ting (黃健庭) reportedly explained to Gou and Hou that after conducting multiple internal party polls and external public polls, the central committee had determined that Hou should be the party's candidate. On Tuesday morning (May 16), Chu went to Gou's home to continue his attempts to persuade him to accept the central committee's decision after comprehensive consideration to back Hou as presidential candidate.
