TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Despite lagging in the polls, Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said at a Saturday (Aug. 12) campaign event that he will not back down and will "hang on to the race."
The statement was made a day after Taiwan People's Party Chair Ko Wen-Je (柯文哲) said that he will run as "a presidential candidate" rather than support Foxconn founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) in the election next year.
Hou and KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) made a joint appearance at a fundraising lunch in Tainan City on Saturday as part of his southern Taiwan campaign tour. When asked by reporters to comment on the latest moves by his rivals, he replied that he "won't back down" and will unite the people with shared values "to move forward and to win the race."
At the fundraising event, Hou also blamed the absence of dialogue across the Taiwan Strait as the cause of heightened tensions with China and the possibility of a war. "I have to stand up to reverse this course to pursue peace and safeguard our home," he said.
A Public Opinion Foundation poll in July showed the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's presidential candidate Lai Ching-te (賴清德) (33.9%) with a 13% lead over Ko (20.5%), followed by Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih's (侯友宜) 18%, and former Foxconn founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) with 15.2%.
