TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT Legislator Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) accused Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) on Sunday of pushing the party to accelerate its Taichung mayoral nomination process, saying the move contradicts earlier party agreements.
Yang said a prior consensus within the party — which she claimed was raised by Chiang himself — was to hold the primary after May, per UP Media. She said she was “shocked” by Chiang’s demand that the nomination be finalized before the end of January.
Yang urged the KMT to prioritize a transparent nomination process rather than rushing a decision. Chiang responded that finalizing the mayoral candidate is crucial for coordinating campaigns for borough chiefs and city councilors.
Chiang said prolonged delays undermine party unity and give the DPP more room to maneuver. He added that Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) also supports selecting the KMT candidate by the end of January, per Tai Sounds.
Lu said Sunday that she hopes the two contenders can quickly negotiate and produce a candidate, per CNA. KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) commented on the failed talks held Friday, saying the party would proceed with a primary if negotiations do not succeed, per Tai Sounds.
KMT Taichung City Councilor Hsu Yu-hsuan (許育璿), a Chiang supporter, urged the party to move quickly on the nomination, per Newtalk. He said DPP Legislator Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) is already campaigning, heightening anxiety among KMT supporters.
Hsu also questioned the need for additional polling if negotiations collapse, noting the party has already conducted multiple surveys and their results strongly favor one contender.
The KMT’s failure to finalize its Taichung mayoral candidate has reportedly caused frustration among local supporters, per UP Media. The party had planned to hold its first negotiation between Yang and Chiang earlier, but Yang allegedly postponed the talks until Friday.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said Yang sought to delay the process further, proposing additional talks and suggesting the next meeting be held Feb. 1. KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) reportedly told Yang that she was not respecting party mechanisms, stressing that the nomination process has been conducted openly.
A KMT insider suggested Yang may be attempting to prolong the process to lay the groundwork for a potential independent run, arguing the party should address her behavior rather than accommodate it. An insider within senior KMT leadership said that the party is not favoring either side but is focused on minimizing internal friction.
