The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) needs its current chairman, Lien Chan (
Speaking at the KMT's weekly Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday, Hou asked members of the party's top decision-making body to support a re-election campaign for Lien.
She touted the results of Lien's trip to China as proof of the nation's continued need for his leadership.
"Chairman [Lien], do not be too selfish; you must run again in order to protect our party comrades, to lead cross-strait interactions," Hou said at the party's first Central Standing Committee meeting since Lien's return on Tuesday.
Among a rising tide of voices calling for Lien to run for another term, Hou, a member of the committee, has been one of the more vocal campaigners.
While Lien has said on a number of occasions that he does not intend to run for the chairmanship again, the movement promoting his re-election has gathered momentum since his eight-day trip to China, during which he compiled a five-point communique with Chinese President Hu Jintao (
Apparently referring to the the chairmanship campaigns of Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
She said that the leader of the KMT must be able to dedicate his full attention to cross-strait issues.
"I believe that there should be no Central Standing Committee members that are against Chairman Lien's re-election," Hou added, in a comment that gained no reaction from the bland-faced Ma.
While Wang and Ma are also Central Standing Committee members, only Ma was on hand to hear Hou's appeal, since Wang had left before Hou's speech.
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