Lien yesterday accepted blame for the defeat but did not publicly offer to quit.
Later, KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) told reporters that Lien was ready to resign last weekend but party leaders asked him to stay.
``Most party members feel that he shouldn't step down because he is the core of the KMT leadership,'' Lin said.
Still, a group yesterday calling itself ``the voice of KMT members'' paid for a newspaper advertisement in a leading daily that accused Lien of not facing up to his mistakes and urged him to step down.
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