The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday brushed off KMT Legislator Alex Tsai’s (蔡正元) opposition to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) bid for re-election as KMT chairman and said the party would elect its party chief in accordance with party regulations.
Citing the Civil Associations Act (人民團體法), Tsai yesterday said on his Facebook page that leaders of any civil organization, including political parties, should only be re-elected once.
Article 17 of the KMT’s charter also states that the party’s chairperson is to serve a four-year term and can be re-elected once.
Ma was elected KMT chairman in 2005, but resigned in 2007 when he was indicted for allegedly misusing his special allowance during his tenure as Taipei mayor.
The position was filled by Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), who served as party chairman until 2009.
Ma was acquitted of the corruption charges and was re-elected party chairman in 2009.
Having been re-elected once, Ma should not seek another re-election after finishing his term this year, Tsai said.
“Even if President Ma insisted on seeking another term and won re-election, the election result could be nullified by a court,” he said.
The KMT has said it will hold its party chairperson election in July, with Ma so far being the only party member who has announced his intention to run.
In response to Tsai’s challenges over the legitimacy of Ma’s bid for re-election, KMT spokesman Yin Wei (殷瑋) said the party would look into the issue, adding that it would hold the election in accordance with regulations.
The Civil Associations Act also states that political organizations have the authority to make their own regulations, which means that the KMT can revise its regulations if necessary.
Calls for Ma to stop seeking re-election are growing amid the president’s low approval rating and public protests over his administration’s performance. New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明) recently said that Ma should focus his efforts on cultivating talent and finding a successor.
Ma has started visiting KMT branches around the nation to meet with party delegates in an effort to consolidate support for his re-election bid.
The KMT is also arranging for the president to tour the nation to communicate with party members in forums and other activities to boost his public support.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS