TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Failed Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said he believes Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) looks more like a more presidential candidate than he does.
“I feel as though he has become a presidential candidate,” Hou said on Friday (Jan. 26), referring to Chiang’s apparent popularity. Hou added the Taipei mayor is handsome and speaks good Mandarin, per Tai Sounds.
“If my Mandarin was as good as Chiang Wan-an’s, I would have got a lot more votes,” Hou quipped at a KMT event held in Taipei. Chiang returned Hou’s compliment by saying that if his Taiwanese was as good as Hou's, his wife would laugh at him less often.
Hou’s endorsement of Chiang as a presidential candidate reportedly received enthusiastic applause from the party faithful.
KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) attended the event and said he supports the “next generation” taking over leadership of the party and hopes more young people will be involved in its activities. The KMT must speed up reforms, otherwise it will be forgotten, Chu said.
Reflecting on his election loss, Hou said that a presidential campaign is like an exam. He said that if a student fails the exam, it’s the examinees’ fault. You have to constantly reflect on yourself to make progress, he said.
Eric Chu, Hou Yu-ih, and Chiang Wan-an share a laugh at a KMT event in Taipei on Friday. (CNA photo)