Five To Vie For KMT Presidential Nomination

The opposition Kuomintang in Taiwan said on Monday five candidates will take part in its upcoming presidential primary, as the Beijing-friendly party seeks to regain power in the 2020 election.

Joining the primary are Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu, business tycoon Terry Gou, former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu, former Taipei County magistrate Chou Hsi-wei and political scientist Chang Ya-chung.

The campaign will feature a series of televised forums where candidates would introduce their platforms, as well as an island-wide opinion poll.

The winning candidate will be announced at the end of July.

Han paid a landmark visit to Hong Kong and the mainland early this year. He's best known for his efforts to try to improve Kaohsiung's economy.

Gou is one of the richest people in Taiwan. He was the founder and chairman of the electronics giant Foxconn.

Chu, also a former KMT chairman, was the party's candidate in the 2016 election, replacing incumbent candidate Hung Hsiu-chu who failed to secure the support of the party leadership. He was defeated by Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party.

One of the big names who decided not to run is former parliamentary speaker Wang Jin-pyng.

Taiwan's presidential election will be held in January next year.