Voting took place yesterday throughout Taiwan for 200 local DPP representatives who will participate in the July National Congress -- as the party deals with a dramatic increase in membership.
The National Congress is responsible for mapping out the party's future reform plans and decision-making structure.
Also yesterday, the DPP's city and county branch directors and officials were elected, and jockeying for the post of party chairman began in earnest.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES.
"Although the competition was very severe, the voting process went smoothly," one DPP official said about the congress elections when the results came out last night.
This election, the first internal election since the DPP took over the reins of government, was seen as a measure of the various factions' strength within the party.
The local elections were said to be the most intense since the DPP was established in 1986, with widespread rumors of vote buying and party-giving.
However, the DPP's organizational development director Jimmy Kuo (郭俊銘) said yesterday that there was no direct proof of bribery.
These 200 new local representatives, selected from 432 candidates around the island -- along with 199 official representatives -- will comprise the National Congress -- the party's highest decision-making body. The meeting will be held July 16.
A register for the party chairmanship will be set up from today, although no consensus on a frontrunner has emerged yet.
The party's star, Kaoshiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (
Lawmaker Hung Chi-chang (洪奇昌) yesterday said might run for the post, but any decision would depend on his faction, the New Tide.
All the DPP factions are expected to meet and discuss their choice for the party chairmanship.
Although many figures within the party are naturally eager to seize power, some faction leaders expressed their anxieties.
New Tide leader Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁) yesterday said that if the main factions could not reach a consensus on the party's role, the positions of party chairman and decision-making body would be meaningless. Re-positioning and the reorganization of the DPP is understood to be a critical issue for the forthcoming National Congress.
Another pressing issue which will need to be addressed is the rights of party members' in the light of the unprecedented increase in membership.
"The party had about 200,000 members before the March election, however, membership has grown substantially over the past two months to a total of about 300,000," Kuo said.
These new recruits are not allowed to elect party officials within the first year of joining the party. But they will be able to nominate DPP candidates for local executive chiefs and legislators the year after.
The gowing number of party members will give rise to the question of influence from individuals with KMT and "black gold" backgrounds joining the party. Kuo admitted many former KMT officials have led a flood of people to the DPP.
"Acknowledging this fact, DPP factions plan to amend party nomination regulations, to avoid members with stained reputations influencing future elections for officials," Kuo said.
According to Kuo, there are plans to lower the party members' voting rate and raise the survey rate, in evaluating candidates for the election to official posts.
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