The Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) 17th national convention, which opens today at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, will feature a hand-over ceremony for the party's top post and debate over the party's power structure and development
KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) will formally hand power over to chairman-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). Ma's inauguration will immediately follow the hand-over ceremony, during which the Taipei mayor will deliver a keynote speech setting out his vision and goals for the party.
Four proposals will be discussed during the two-day convention, including amendments to the KMT's constitution, a resolution to install an honorary chairman, the appointment of five vice chairpersons as well as the selection of a new secretary-general of the party's Central Standing Committee (CSC).
The proposed amendments to the party's constitution are the most important topic facing delegates since they will affect the KMT's internal power structure.
Both Ma's supporters and those of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Ma's supporters are pushing a proposal to extend CSC membership from one year to two. They are also expected to propose that committee members should be directly elected by the congress delegates.
The aim of the direct-election proposal to reduce the power of Wang's supporters within the party's leadership.
Under current regulations, the 1,602 party delegates are empowered to select the 210 members of the Central Committee, who in turn elect the 31 members of the CSC.
Wang said earlier this week that he thought revision of the election rules should be put off until the next CSC election next year to avoid controversy.
The elections for both the Central Committee and the CSC must be held today. The five vice chairpeople are also due to be named today. Only two of the incumbents -- Taichung Mayor Wu Po-hsiung (
Wang's supporters, however, are expected to propose that the chairman's choices for the vice chairpeople should be agreed upon by the party delegates, a move aimed at stopping Ma filling the slate with his people.
KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (
The goal is to have 800 signatures by noon today.
Wu said that, despite Wang's advice, if the new mechanism is approved, it should be put into effect immediately.
However, KMT Legislator Lee Chuan-chiao (
Wang refused to comment on the CSC reform proposals yesterday, saying that he had not contacted anyone to discuss the issue nor was he aware of Lee's proposal.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS