The KMT's share of the vote in upcoming local elections should be better compared with its performance in last month's legislative polls and the 2000 presidential race, party officials said yesterday.
Still, the KMT expects to lose seats as it faces competition from the PFP and Taiwan Solidarity Union.
Wu Ching-ji (
The party's support base decreased after the PFP formed in 2000 and former KMT chairman Lee Teng-hui (
"Some of the party's politicians at the local level have leaned toward the PFP and TSU, but the number isn't very big," Wu said.
"Our goal is to compare our share of the vote [in the coming elections] with the legislative election results and the presidential race," the party spokesman said.
The KMT, which took just 23 percent of the vote in the presidential race, garnered 31 percent in the legislative elections.
The party considers the results an improvement, though the KMT lost a large number of legislative seats in December.
In the Jan. 26 local elections, voters will chose new chiefs for 319 rural and urban townships and municipalities. The council deputies of 23 counties and cities will also be chosen, with 887 seats up for grabs.
In the last local elections, held in 1998, the KMT won 237 townships and county municipalities. The party garnered 530 seats in the council deputy races.
Though exact numbers are not available, KMT officials estimate that roughly 20 council deputies and a dozen township and municipality chiefs have left the party over past year.
Wu yesterday rejected claims that the KMT's grassroots support base was in danger of collapse after the party's setback in the legislative elections last month.
The party official noted that services provided by KMT politicians to their constituents have won broad public support.
Wu also alleged that the DPP's strong showing in last month's legislative races was the result of the government's bias in targeting KMT candidates especially when investigating vote-buying charges.
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