People First Party Chairman James C.Y. Soong has collected more than the required number of signatures to be formally named a candidate in the next presidential election, the opposition party announced Nov. 1.
A total of 355,589 signatures have been gathered in support of Soong’s presidential bid, surpassing the threshold of 257,695 required by the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act, which stipulates that candidates whose parties did not get at least 5 percent of the vote in the last major election must get the signatures of 1.5 percent of the electorate.
PFP Vice Chairman Chang Chao-hsiung said 142 boxes of signatures have already been delivered to the Central Election Commission’s Taipei branch for inspection, and the remainder will be sent Nov. 5. After being examined, the petitions will be sent to CEC headquarters for final review, he added.
Currently only incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou and his running mate, Premier Wu Den-yih, and Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen and her vice presidential nominee, former Interior Minister Su Jia-chyuan, are official candidates.
Besides Soong and his running mate, Lin Ruey-shiung, five other pairs are seeking formal candidacy through signature drives, according to the CEC.
Local branches of the commission began accepting signed petitions for examination Sept. 22, the CEC said, adding that in accordance with the law, it will complete all review work by Nov. 14 and announce the results the following day. (SB)