Taipei, Feb. 1 (CNA) Jaw Shaw-kong, a talk show host critical of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, announced Monday that he has applied to rejoin the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) after withdrawing from the party nearly three decades ago, expressing his desire to run for the KMT chairmanship.
Jaw, 70, told the press that he made the decision after feeling upset over the KMT's recent poor performance as the country's main opposition party in monitoring the DPP administration.
The KMT's 2020 presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, also offered his support for Jaw's return and the idea that he should run for the party chairman seat.
Jaw said he has met several times with KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang and recently submitted the form to apply to rejoin the party he left in 1993.
After returning to the KMT, Jaw said he plans to join the chairmanship election slated to be held later this year. However, if he finds himself unqualified to run, he is open to accepting other party positions, the media personality added.
According to KMT regulations, a party chairman candidate has to have joined the party for a minimum of one year and must have previously held the post of KMT central standing committee member or central executive committee member.
The rules mean that Jaw is unqualified to enter the chairmanship race.
Meanwhile, Chiang confirmed the KMT has received an official application filed by Jaw to return to the party.
Chiang welcomed Jaw's decision, saying that the homecoming of the television personality with high popularity among KMT supporters is a good sign for the party's unity and is expected to attract more supporters to the pan blue camp.
Jaw was a "golden boy" of the KMT in the 1980s, who served as a Taipei City councilor and legislator before he and several other KMT members shunned the party to form the New Party in 1993.
After losing the Taipei city mayoral race to former President Chen Shui-bian in 1994, Jaw announced his intention to retire from politics in 1996.
Soon after that, Jaw founded UFO Radio. He also owns News98 and served as its president, while hosting his own radio and TV programs and is widely regarded as an opinion leader among KMT supporters.
