I’ve written before about the problems with the upcoming elections for the new chairman of the KMT. Well, things don’t seem to be getting any better in this competition. Yesterday was supposed to be the opening day of the campaign, when both candidates (Ma Ying-jeou and Wang Jin-pyng) had their first rally or event … however things didn’t really go to plan for either of them.

Ma Ying-jeou had scheduled a rally in one of the main parks in Taipei – however, less than 24 hours before it was held (and after all the announcements had been made in the press) it was cancelled. The reason? Because Ma Ying-jeou (who is the mayor of Taipei) had failed to apply for the correct permit with Taipei’s police to hold a rally. Normally, Ma is one of the most competent and organised politicians in Taiwan – so seeing him fail to organise an event in his own backyard is a bit surprising.

The other candidate, Wang Jin-pyng, was more a victim of bad luck (or more specifically, bad weather). His event, climbing up a mountain on the outskirts of Taipei:

Wang, president of the Legislative Yuan, will climb up to Mount Tatun with a hundred young supporters this morning. At the park near the peak, Wang would explain how he would campaign in the election of the chairman scheduled for July 26.

Unfortunately, yesterday Taipei had the worst rainstorm (complete with thunder and lightening) since the last typhoon that hit the island. Although there was a press release issued which claimed he had gone ahead with his climb, I’d be surprised if he walked more than a hundred paces.

Update: I stand corrected. It seems he did make it up his mountain after all. I’m impressed – it obviously takes more than a bit of wet weather to derail his campaign.