Democratic Progressive Party

: We insist peace and development must be ensured across the Taiwan Strait," Chu said, according to Asahi Shimbun. May 16 was the deadline for KMT members to sign up for the party primary to choose its candidate. Eric Chu, head of the China-friendly Kuomintang , had been considered the party most promising contender to run against the opposition Democratic Progressive Party presidential hopeful, Tsai Ing-wen. "Some people say, as the party chief, how can I not join the presidential race " Chu told reporters, adding that he would help the party find the right candidate and achieve unity. "I'm not afraid of criticism. Three members did, including deputy legislative speaker Hung Hsiu-chu, the KMT said. But the KMT was heavily defeated in local elections last November, rejected by voters suspicious of its push for deeper economic ties with China. The KMT, or Nationalist party, dominated the island for decades after China communists defeated the nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek in a civil war that ended in 1949. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.