Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday questioned the legitimacy of a motion aimed at moving forward the party’s next chairperson election by two months, a move that was passed by the KMT’s Central Standing Committee at a meeting on Wednesday that did not have a quorum.
During a morning visit to the KMT’s Yilan County Council caucus, Hau said that although he does not have much of an opinion about the KMT leadership’s decision to move the chairperson race forward, the change should have gone through a democratic process.
“Democracy is important and so is solidarity, but the latter would not be possible without the former,” Hau said.
Photo: Chien Huei-ju, Taipei Times
“It is imperative that the leader of the party work to ensure the rationality of its system, democracy and tolerance of plurality,” Hau said, adding that the motion should be carefully deliberated at the committee’s routine meeting on Wednesday next week.
In response to media inquiries about his intention to run in the election, the former Taipei mayor said he has been dogged by such questions wherever he goes and he feels a continuous fixation on the issue would nullify any efforts to “actually get things done.”
If the KMT cannot grasp the needs of the people, it does not matter who is the chairperson, Hau said, adding that only a party capable of doing so could gain public recognition.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Hau’s remarks came one day after KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) railroaded the motion through the committee meeting, which was boycotted by 26 committee members opposing the proposal.
According to KMT regulations, a quorum for a meeting of the party’s Central Standing Committee should consist of at least half of the 40 eligible participants, who are the chairperson, five vice chairmen and 34 members.
However, Wednesday’s session was only attended by Hung, three vice chairmen and 10 committee members, including two who the KMT said asked someone else to sign in on their behalf.
It is reported that after waiting for an hour for a quorum to be reached, the KMT management, citing regulations promulgated by the Ministry of the Interior, said that as the committee is a permanent one, it is allowed to change the quorum.
Hung called the meeting to order after declaring that the quorum should be 13, because 14 committee members had asked for a leave of absence, a decision that has reportedly prompted committee members who boycotted the session to take legal action.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director Mao Chia-ching (毛嘉慶), one of Hung’s closest aides, on Wednesday said that prior to the meeting he saw Hau having a meal with some of the committee members who boycotted it.
Hau said at the meeting that there is no need to invent conspiracy theories and backstab, remarks apparently aimed at Mao.
The motion, unveiled by KMT Central Policy Committee director Alex Tsai (蔡正元) on Monday, plans to hold the next chairperson election on May 20, instead of July 20, to conform with the party charter.
The move has been interpreted by some as an attempt by Hung to force other potential chairperson hopefuls, including Hau and former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), to announce their bids.
Hung said that while it was regrettable many committee members did not attend the meeting, at least the motion was passed in accordance with the regulations.
“If there are party members who still do not understand the motion fully, I am willing to do my best to explain it to them,” Hung said, adding that the proposal is aimed at ensuring the term of a party chairperson only lasts four years, as stipulated in the KMT charter.
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