Election roundup (03/14)

DPP presidential contenders agree to chose nominee via negotiations (聯合報，自由時報)
Move may avoid potentially divisive primary

All four major candidates, including Frank Hsieh, Annette Lu, Su Chen-chang and Yu Shyi-kun also signed an agreement not to run as an independent and confirmed their plans to conduct a debate for all the candidates before taking another opinion poll and/or conducting a DPP primary.

Former New Tide faction of the DPP calls for changes to public poll method (中時)

The legislators suggested that when polling about legislative candidates, the DPP would be better off asking if someone supported independence or unification would be better than asking who they had voted for in the last three elections.

Other legislators in the DPP, who seem not to be getting along so well with the former New Tide faction people, don't welcome their suggestion.

KMT to open registration for legislative primary next week (聯合，中央廣播電臺)

The party tried to amend a rule for the primary to limit local mayors and township chiefs from registering, but did not manage to pass the amendment due to lack of quorum. The move was aimed at making it easier for current legislators to keep their seats.

The amendment stipulates that those currently serving in office may not register unless they've completed half of their current term of office. Because most local-level elections were held in December 2005, no local mayors or township chiefs will be able to run.*

(*Well, I dunno, maybe some can run, but I guess you'd have to have a pretty special circumstance that had you in office earlier).

Lai Ching-te wants to run for a legislative seat ... and for the Tainan mayorship

DPP legislator Lai Ching-te (賴清德) signed up today for the DPP primary for legislative seats. He also expressed interest in running for the office of Tainan mayor three years from now. He did not register for the legislative primary.

Wang says Wang-Ma and Ma-Wang aren't the only KMT ticket options (ETTV)

KMT presidential hopeful Wang Jin-pyng indicated his willingness to pair up with Wu Poh-hsiung or Lien Chan in a run for the presidency. He also indicated that a Ma-Wang ticket was an option the party had, perhaps softening recent comments that a Wang-Ma ticket was the obvious option.

Day Three of DPP legislative primary registration (中央社)

Now complete!

On the third day of registration, 26 people signed up for districted seats, while 8 signed up for an at large seat.

The DPP now has two candidates signed up for every district in Kaohsiung County, meaning the party will conducct opinion polls and perhaps an actual primary to decide who will run.

The at large registrees are: You Ying-lung (游盈隆), Luo Wen-chia (羅文嘉), Chiou Yi-ying (邱議瑩), Wang Sing-nan (王幸男), Hsu Jung-shu (許榮淑), Tien Chiu-chin (田秋菫), Yu Jan-daw (余政道), and Chang Hsiu-chen (張秀珍).

In the north, we had these people register: Kao Chien-chih (高建智) in Taipei City-1; Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) in Taipei City-4; Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) in Kaohsiung City-2; Lin Chin-hsing (林進興) in Kaohsiung City-3; Huang Chao-hui (黃昭輝) in Kaohsiung City-4; Kuo Wen-chen (郭玟成) in Kaohsiung City-5; Huang Chien-hui (黃劍輝) and (林淑芬) in Taipei Co.-2; Lin Shu-fenShen Fa-hui (沈發惠) in Taipei Co.-12; Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (余政憲) in Kaohsiung Co.-2; Kuo Jung-chung (郭榮宗) in Taoyuan-2; Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓) in Taichung Co.-3; and Kuo Chun-ming (郭俊銘) in Taichung Co.-5.

In the south, registrees include: Lin Yun-sheng (林耘生) in Nantou Co.-2; Chen Hsien-chung (陳憲中) in Yunlin-1; Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) and Cheng Kuo-chung (鄭國忠) in Tainan Co.-1; Hou Shui-sheng (侯水盛) and Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) in Tainan Co.-2; Yu Cheng-hsien (余政憲) in Kaohsiung Co.-2; Chen Chi-yu (陳啟昱) in Kaohsiung Co.-3; County Councilor Chen Huei-wen (陳慧文) and Legislator Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺) in Kaohsiung Co.-4; Cheng Tsao-min (鄭朝明) in Pingtung-1; and Pan Meng-an (潘孟安) in Pingtung-3; Lu Po-chi (盧博基) in Hualien Co.; Michael Chai (蔡明憲) in Taitung City; Tang Bi-a (唐碧娥) in Tainan City-1; and Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in Tainan City-2.