The KMT yesterday decided to exclude individuals with criminal records from the party's nomination of elected officials in a brave bid to refresh the party's image.
The KMT also plans to set a "protective quota" of 40 percent for minorities in its decision-making bodies -- among which a quota of 25 percent women is mandated.
The amendments to the KMT's platform were passed yesterday by the party's Central Standing Committee and a final decision will be made by the provisional National Congress.
"The Committee's members had different opinions on a quota for minorities [within decision-making bodies], however, the party's acting chairman Lien Chan (
The temporary National Con-gress is scheduled to meet June 16.
Once these reform proposals are approved at the meeting, they will serve as the party's reform guidelines.
According to yesterday's resolution, the KMT will not allow the official nomination of convicted criminals.
The resolution specifies that those who have violated criminal laws or election-related laws and were found guilty will not be allowed to stand for the party's primary election.
The amendment gained the support of all of the members on the committee.
According to Hu, the initial proposal by the party's reform committee to establish quotas of 25 percent for women and 25 percent for youths in its decision-making institutions was made to make the party appeal to a wider cross section of people.
The party's women's affairs department chief Huang Lee-ching (黃麗卿), lawmaker Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) and Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) all supported the new amendment, saying that the quota for women and youths reflected current national demographics.
However, committee member Wang Chih-kang (
The party's organization affairs department chief Chao Shou-po (
Lien closed the meeting after an hour's discussion, saying that the party may set a total quota of 40 percent for those who are not currently well-represented in the party, such as women, young people, laborers and the disabled.
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