Central Election Commission Chairman Lee Chin-yung stands next to a notice at the commission’s office in Taipei announcing that the presidential election is to be held on Jan. 13 next year. “The decision of whether or not aspirants register as candidates falls within their civil right to participate in political affairs, and the CEC shall respect that decision,” CEC Vice Chairperson Chen Chao-chien (陳朝建) added. “However, once they have registered as candidates under the act, they cannot withdraw their candidacy,” he said. Candidates nominated by parties or independent candidates who collect enough signatures to qualify as candidates in the presidential election are required to register from Nov. 20 to 24. Under the act, independent presidential hopefuls must obtain 289,667 signatures, or 1.5 percent of eligible voters in the previous presidential election, to qualify as candidates.

Source: Taipei Times September 13, 2023 05:17 UTC