The ruling Kuomintang (KMT) has officially nominated Legislature Vice President Hung Hsiu-chu as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2016 elections.
The nomination was announced at a party congress on Sunday. That was met with a standing ovation, a sign of the party’s unity behind Hung, who has been seen as a divisive candidate. KMT party heavyweights, including President Ma Ying-jeou, KMT Chairman Eric Chu, and Legislature President Wang Jin-pyng, turned out in force to show their support for Hung’s candidacy.
In a speech following her nomination, Hung pledged to abide by the constitution, and uphold the ’92 Consensus, in her efforts to strengthen peaceful cross-strait development. She called for party unity in order to prevent the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from winning back the presidency, and (in her words) “governing on a basis of lies and populism”.
Recent polls have found that the DPP’s candidate and chairwoman, Tsai Ing-wen, has a sizeable lead over Hung.
Hung said it was vital for the party to remain unified as Taiwan faces formidable challenges, including globalization, a stagnant economy, and a widening gap between rich and poor.