KMT nominations

Update: There are still districts where both PFP and KMT candidates want to run that have not yet been resolved between the parties, and the KMT noted they may use further negotiations or opinion polls to resolve those districts. Considering what the KMT has already given up though, I don't expect these minor issues to create any major problems.

I've also examined the KMT nominees listed below and found most of them are for districts the DPP had either noone or very few people register in.

The KMT has now approved a total of 32 candidates to run for them. The remaining candidates will be announced in two more phases on 5/23 and 6/13 respectively (all Wednesday). most have been lsited before; a full list of nominees seems hard to come by.

Here's the information in the CNA article:

中常會通過的黨員投票的九個選區包括：台北市四(蔡正元)、台北市六 (李慶安)、台北縣五 (黃志雄)、台北縣八 (張慶忠)、新竹市 (呂學樟)、台中縣四 (徐中雄)、台中市一 (蔡錦隆)、彰化縣三 (鄭汝芬)、南投縣二 (林明溱)。

台中市三雖然也舉行黨員投票，並由黨籍前立委洪昭男出線，不過，仍需和親民黨籍立委黃義交協調，所以並未列入這波提名名單。

至於二十三個只有一人登記或協調產生的立委提名人，包括台北市一選區 (丁守中)、台北市五選區 (林郁方)、台北市七選區 (費鴻泰)等人。另外，也通過國民黨秘書長吳敦義代表國民黨參選南投縣第一選區。

Frank Hsieh paper articles

Taipei Times -- Hsieh denies corruption allegations raised by `Next'
China Post -- Frank Hsieh denies corruption charges
Taiwan News -- Report says Hsieh received illegal donations

Frank Hsieh corrupt?

This could be a huge piece of news, since Hsieh is the DPP favorite for the nomination. The news was first reported in Next (a tabloid weekly). Prosecutor Luo Chien-hsun (羅建勛) has written a preliminary report which is sure that Hsieh took illegal political donation(s).

The prosecutor's office would not comment today much since the investigation isn't finished, but admitted the document reported in Next is real and that prosecutor Luo Chien-hsun's (羅建勛) thinks Hsieh is obviously guilty (the exact quotation was apparently 「應可認可、犯行明確」). The office emphasised that Luo's report was his opinion only, preliminary and not an indictment (see CNA article 謝長廷犯行明確？高雄高分檢：檢座個人心證).

Hsieh supporters are calling it a political stunt, pointing out there wasn't even a political donations law in 1991 when the illegal donations were supposedly made, so how could Hsieh be guilty? He also pointed out that Sun Ta-chien (孫大千) and others had been charged with the same crime during Hsieh's run for the Taipei mayor, and that they were cleared of charges.

My analysis is that since the details in the weekly's article seem mostly correct (though it is hard to believe they go their hands on the prosecutes related files), Hsieh could be in real trouble here (after all, there is a running investigation) and that he should proceed very carefully. The DPP does not want an indicted candidate running against Ma.

Update: the magazine was Next, not Scoop.

Wang / Ma business

This afternoon, the KMT will nominate Ma as its presidential candidate. Ma has said he is working hard to get in touch with Wang Jin-pyng, who apparently ignored about 30 calls from Ma yesterday. When pressed by media, Wang said there was no hurry to decide and that the two of them should meet with Lien Chan first. Another report says Wang is in private discussions with Lien over exactly how to proceed.

Who knows what exactly is going to happen here, especially with a Ma indictment being a real possibility.

Final word on PFP-KMT cooperation?

As Raj pointed out in the comments on the last post, the PFP did not support the bill (due to some prodding from James Soong) that would have prevented an indicted Ma from running. Of course, it would have been a good bill -- not because it would keep Ma out, but because why should officials indicted on corruption charges get to run for high office?

In exchange, the PFP continued to ask for 7 seats, saying they now expected the KMT to scratch their back. The KMT relented and gave up first four, and then five districts to the PFP: Taipei County-2, -4, and -7; Hualien; and, according to the Liberty Times, will not nominate in Kaohsiung County-1 either. In regards to Taichung City-3, the KMT and PFP seem to plan to allow an opinion poll to decide who will be nominated.

For their part, the PFP seems satisfied even though the concessions fall short of their original demands. It is not yet clear how many at large seats nominations will go to PFP nominees, but my guess is two-three.

More on KMT nominations

The biggest question is: will the PFP go nuclear tomorrow and let a law pass that would prevent Ma Ying-jeou from running if indicted? They have so far refused to say, but did say they feel the KMT has not been very sincere in negotiations and listed 7 districts they'd like to have a free hand in without an opinion poll, including ...

包括北縣第二選區（黨籍立委柯淑敏）、北縣第四選區（黨籍立委李鴻鈞）、北縣第七選區（黨籍立委吳清池）、中市第三選區（黨籍立委黃義交）、高縣第一選區（黨籍立委鍾紹和）、花蓮縣（黨籍立委傅山昆萁）、以及苗栗第二選區（黨籍立委徐耀昌），七個選區國民黨能點頭給予親民黨優先尊重，「非優先做民調」，後續才有協商空間。

A few complaints from losers in the legislative election, and a promise to run from Ko Chu-hsiung (a former movie star and rather famous KMT legislator).

This report from Taiwan news, linked first by the View from Taiwan:

In a press conference, Lee [Ching-hua (李慶華)] pointed out anomalies in some party membership records and suspected that Chang [Ching-chung (張慶忠)] had introduced more than 5,000 nominal members into the district to help him win the primary.

According to Lee, the roster of party members in the district published by the party's Jhonghe City headquarters contained several alleys and streets where an unusual large number of KMT members live. These members had different addresses but shared same residence telephone or cell phone numbers, he added. ...

Meanwhile, [Ko Chun-hsiung (柯俊雄)] lost to People First Party-turned KMT Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang [(呂學樟)] in [Hsinchu City], and vowed to enter the legislative election despite his loss.

KMT Spokesman Su Jun-pin said party members questioning the "unfair practices" of the legislative primary need to backed up their accusations with evidence. The party will resort to party discipline to sanction those who make unsubstantiated accusations or those who insist to run in violation of party rules, Su added.

The China Post reports that the KMT has promised to look into allegations of wrong doing. The China Post also lists all those KMT members nominated in this limited primary (for 10 spots). The results will not be finalized until May 2. Here's a summary from a CNA article:

台北市四選區 蔡正元；台北市六選區 李慶安；台北縣五選區 委黃志；台北縣八選區 張慶忠；新竹市 呂學樟；台中縣四選區 徐中雄；台中市一選區蔡錦隆；台中市三選區洪昭男 (still under negotiation since PFP's 黃義交 wants to run)；彰化縣三選區鄭汝芬；南投縣二選區林明溱

Meanwhile, the Taichung County KMT branch has chosen their nominees (apparently without a primary) as well. All are current legislators. From CNA:

這五位提名人選如下：第一選區劉銓忠、第二選區紀國棟、第三選區江連福、第四選區徐中雄、第五選區楊瓊瓔。

More on that CCP-KMT business

Beijing urges closer Taiwan ties (BBC)

Mr Hu was speaking at a China-Taiwan forum in Beijing, aimed at improving ties between the two rival neighbours.

More than 30 MPs from Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), are taking part in the two-day event ....

Mr Hu said this would benefit both sides and help "curb Taiwan secessionist activities and maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait".

A large group of Taiwan's business leaders is also taking part in the forum.

The Liberty Times lists 23 of the visiting legislators and has a picture showing a full list.

曾永權、徐少萍、郭素春、白添枝、黃德福、丁守中、朱鳳芝、洪秀柱、侯彩鳳、林鴻池、張碩文、許舒博、朱俊曉、潘維剛、林建榮、周守訓、曹爾忠、吳成典、林益世、雷倩、李紀珠、江丙坤、謝國樑。

Lien Chan is talking about the "92 consensus" to solve practical problems, increase cross-strait exchanges and get the three links running, while Jia Qinglin (贾庆林) (the fourth highest ranked official in China) is reminding everyone to work together for peaceful unification and to crush the Taiwanese independence movement. (By the way, Lien Chan also stated his opposition to Taiwanese independence there.)

You can watch proceedings live from Xinhua and get lots of articles on what they're talking about.

First day of KMT primary

A primary is being held for 10 KMT legislative nominations today. These districts are not considered highly competitive and there's no problem in dealing with the PFP in them, but reports are that there has still been some threatening language thrown about.

The districts are Taipei City-4 and -6; Taipei County-5 and -8; Hsinchu City; Taichung County-4; Taichung City-1; Changhua County-3; and Nantou County-2.

I imagine votes will be counted by the end of the day.

KMT has plan to prevent splits

They probably didn't mean for this to be an official announcement in terms of how they're going to prevetn splits, but it's still a rather direct statement.

When confronted by three Tainan KMT legislators who wanted gaurentees they'd be on the list for the at large seats, KMT chariman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said that while he can't gaurentee anybody an at large seat, he could promise he'd "reserve them a seat" on the 2008 election team, and that if the KMT wins they would get to be government officials.

This is of course what was to be expected and how things work in many democracies, but it's also a rather tactless endorsement of the spoils system.

（中央社記者林沂鋒台北二十七日電）中國國民黨台南市立委林南生、王昱婷、高思博，今天北上向黨主席吳伯雄「要一席不分區立委」。吳伯雄說，他不敢保證一定給不分區立委，但至少會幫現任立委在「2008競選團隊排位子」，贏了可以當政務官。

EDIT: Ma Ying-jeou is trying to deny this is the plan without denying it. When asked about reports that Wu Poh-hsiung had reassured Tainan legislators they could at least get to be government officials, former chairman Ma said he himself "personally had no such plan"「個人沒有這個計畫」 and that the correct course of action at this time is to focus on the elections.

Two things: first, that first CNA article does not quote Wu Poh-hsiung directly and it seems it got its information from the Tainan legislator. That's a problem, but the Tainan legislator probably isn't lying. Second, I think I've seen this "rumor" before and it's obviously very credible.

EDIT 2: The PFP also came out to endorse such a plan, saying it was perfectly normal. They're not wrong, just shameless.

KMT-CCP interactions

Tomorrow, honorary KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) will be attending the third Cross-strait Fair for Economy and Trade, to be held in Beijing. Today, he arrived in the city.

What I found interesting is the near total lack of interest in this particular trip of Lien's from ... anybody.

There was only one rather short article on it in the China Times, nothing in the United Daily News, and even only one story on the Taiwan section of the People's Daily website. The Liberty Times had an article too.

This is much, much less hoopla than was surrounding the first Cross-strait Fair for Economy and Trade. I wonder if it'll pick up any tomorrow after Lien Chan makes some speech.

Boycott of the Olympics?

Premier Su Chen-chang (蘇貞昌), while answering questions posed by a PFP legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池) today, said Taiwan may boycott the Olympics. Why?

The official English name of the Taiwanese teams is "Chinese Taipei" (中華台北). Taiwan has used this name ever since the late '70's, and they are not objecting to it now. But Beijing has continually referred to the Taiwanese team using a different set of Chinese characters (中國台北). It translates into English the same as "Chinese Taipei" or as "China Taipei," but the terms are subtly different. The official name that Taiwan accepts implies some sort of cultural or historical "Chineseness," while the characters Beijing keeps using have a decidedly political meaning that Taipei is part of the country of China (by implication, the People's Republic of China). China has also been calling Taipei an "overseas Chinese city."

Update: The Taipei Times adds:

Liu told the news conference that Taiwan later discovered that China had started spreading propaganda, saying that Taiwan would be the torch's first stop within China. China also called Taiwan "Taipei, China," instead of using its formal title as a member of the International Olympic Committee, "Chinese Taipei."

The opposition for it's part points out that China has no power to officially change the Taiwanese teams' names, so boycotting would be pointless. Instead, they believe protesting to the Olympic Committee should be able to rectify the problem. And they also suspect Su of pandering to the green electorate ahead of the DPP party primary.

My feeling is that this is basically a non-issue. The PFP legislator was trying to stir up some trouble, and Su was more or less making a theoretical statement.

Not sure how I missed this one

CPBL ordered to pay NT$2.62 million to injured fan (Taiwan News Online)

The Banciao District Court ordered Taiwan's professional baseball league to pay NT$2.62 million in compensation to a baseball fan who nearly lost her eyesight after a ball hit her right eye, the first time a fan has won a compensation claim against the league since it began play in 1990 ....

The fan, surnamed Huang, who was sitting in seats along the third base line at Sinjhuang Stadium, was struck by the ball as players of the Uni-President Lions and Sinon Bulls were warming up prior to their Taiwan Series game on November 11, 2004.

At the stadium in Tianmu and Xinzhuang at least, there's a super obnoxious green fence to block the ball from flying into the stands. This fence alone is almost an affront to the great game.

If someone going to a baseball game doesn't take into account that they may get hit by a ball, they had better just not go at all.

For Christ's sake people! You should be dying to get your hands on that ball!

PFP almost confirms false start theory

They looked like they were going to allow the bill to pass that would bar anyone who had been charged from running for election (aka, prevent Ma from running). At the last minute though, they decided to vote with the KMT to end the session for the day before the last reading.

What gives? TTV says the KMT and PFP will talk for two weeks before this item goes on the agenda again. If they can come to an acceptable negotiated solution where the KMT doesn't run in several legislative districts during the the year-end election, the PFP will definitely change their mind. If they can't come to a solution, who knows what will happen.

First defection of the legislative season!

KMT legislator Lee Sen-zong (李顯榮) is no longer a KMT legislator. He is switching sides to the DPP, resigning from the KMT and making it clear he hopes to run for the DPP in Taipei County-01. He is considered one of those "Pro-Wang" legislators.

Most interesting is that the KMT central committee had offered Lee a spot last year as #12 on the at large list, a safe seat, but he declined before bolting. He is rumored to be doing this as a protest of sorts for the KMT primary procedure.

I imagine the DPP has already told Lee they will accommodate his switch, if for no other reason than to encourage a few other guys to jump ship. Expect at least a few more!

False start, PFP, 5 yards, repeat first down

The People's First Party (PFP) decided to skip out on a committee meeting today in the legislature. As a result, the DPP was able to get both the KMT ill-gotten assets bill and an amendment to election law that would disqualify Ma Ying-jeou from running based on his having been charged for corruption.

Most attribute the PFP's decision to the KMT's unwillingness to avoid running in certain legislative races, particularly in Keelung, which would be about the only way the PFP had a chance of winning some seats next time around. It should be noted that the KMT has avoided nominating in a few (15) legislative seats, perhaps to leave themselves wiggle room for exactly this sort of situation.

The KMT's reaction was to say "even lovers have quarrels," and they hope things can be worked out with the PFP by Friday, when it will be placed on the legislative agenda (at least, that's what I think 院會的報告事項 means). In other words: the KMT is quaking in their boots.

The DPP predictably praised the PFP, saying this would help clean up politics.

For his part, Wang Jin-pyng said the KMT Central Standing Committee must handle this matter wisely, and that if the KMT were pushing this sort of legislation they could control the contents and the process. Not exactly saying "get rid of Ma," but his comments still hint that the KMT should remember Ma might not be able to run.

My guess? The PFP is just blowing some hot air, hoping to squeeze the KMT, but is probably unwilling to make a total break. Then again, if the KMT does not give the PFP some breathing space in certain races, the PFP could feel left for dead and may strike back with all they've got.