KMT expels Hsinchu council speaker

Accompanied by supporters including the wife of the incumbent magistrate, the council speaker visited the Hsinchu county election commission early in the morning on the first day of registration to put her name on a slate against Kuomintang nominee Chiu Ching-chun.

Chiu, an incumbent lawmaker, has yet to register candidacy. He may have to resign from the Legislative Yuan to run.

Regisltration will close on Friday. Voters will go to the polls on December 5 to elect 17 magistrates and mayors across the country.

The axe fell on the lady council speaker without delay. The Kuomintang disciplinary commission announced her expulsion at noon on learning she had acted in violation of the party order.

“I respect their decision (to expel me),” Chang said, showing no regret. “I'm acting to obey the will of the public, not the will of the party,” she pointed out.

As she was stepping out of the election commission, Magistrate Cheng Yung-chin of Hsinchu “happened” to meet her and shook her hands.

“You know,” Cheng claimed, “I am here just to urge the staff of the election commission to observe administrative neutrality.” The staff are warned against favoritism.

Cheng strongly supports Chang.

Lin Kuo-ping, Kuomintang director of the Hsinchu council, and Chiu regretted Chang is running to replace Cheng, who is barred from seeking a third term.

“We wished our voter support in the county of Hsinchu wouldn't be thus split,” Lin said. “That will only serve to help the Democratic Progressive Party candidate,” Chiu lamented.

The opposition party is fielding Peng Shao-chin, a former lawmaker. He may win, if the Kuomintang voter support is equally split between Chiu and Chang.

That is not the only worry of the ruling party.

It is split in five other counties: Yunlin, Hualien, Taitung, Nantou and Chiayi.

After its nominee Chang Li-shan withdrew from the election in Yunlin, the ruling party has yet to name a new candidate. She quit from running after the candidate she and her brother Chang Yung-wei, the local political boss, had supported lost a legislative by-election.

The ruling party is deeply split in Yunlin, where Su Chih-feng, the DPP incumbent magistrate, is running for reelection.

In Hualien, Chang Chih-ming, deputy magistrate, bolted the Kuomintang to run as an independent, with the support of the opposition party. He will register today.

Hualien's local political boss, Kuomintng lawmaker Fu Kun-chi, is expected to register candidacy today in violation of the party's bylaw.

Convicted of insider trading and sentenced to 10 years in prison, Fu is forbidden to run for any public office by the Kuomintang. He can run, win the election, and serve as magistrate until after the Supreme Court hands down its final guilty verdict.

Tu Li-hua, the Kuomintang nominee for magistrate of Hualien, stands no chance. Fu may lose, if Chang, supported by outgoing magistrate Hsieh Shen-shan, continues to erode the Kuomintang's base of power.

Incumbent magistrate Kuang Li-chen of Taitung insists on seeking a second term against the Kuomintang nominee Justine Huang.

Two Kuomintang contenders are ready to quit the party to run for magistrate of Nantou. They are Chen Chen-sheng and Chen Chih-ping.

Chen Chen-sheng will register today and the other Chen on Thursday. The Kuomintang is fielding incumbent magistrate Lee Chao-ching.

The split Kuomintang will help former DPP lawmaker Lee Wen-chung win the yearend race in Nantou.

DPP lawmaker Chang Hua-kuan and independent Hsiao Teng-piao will complete registration of candidacy for magistrate in Chiayi today. They will be pitted against Kuomintang lawmaker Weng Chung-chun, whose voter support is being eroded by Hsiao's joining in the fray.

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