TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The signature drive for independent presidential contender Terry Gou faced an unexpected postponement on Tuesday (Sept. 19), leaving some supporters puzzled about the progress of the signature collection.
On Monday, the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the successful registration of Foxconn founder Terry Gou and his running mate, Lai Pei-hsia, along with ten other pairs, as independent presidential candidates for the 16th and vice-presidential elections.
Gou's campaign initiated the endorsement process immediately and planned to kick off the signature drive on Tuesday. However, on Monday night, Gou's campaign announced the postponement of the signature drive to develop further a system ensuring the safety of signers' personal information.
Gou's campaign spokesperson, Huang Shih-hsiu, explained during an interview on Tuesday that the decision to postpone was in response to Terry Gou's heightened concerns regarding cybersecurity and data protection issues.
Some uninformed supporters were observed outside the signature collection office on Tuesday, wearing perplexed expressions. Despite minor disgruntlement in vain, Gou's supporters remained determined to endorse him once the signature drive officially started.
According to the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act, independent hopefuls must submit at least 289,667 signatures by Nov. 2 to qualify as candidates in the 2024 presidential election.