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Registration for KMT chairman poll opens on Thursday

Will former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) stage a comeback and took over the reins of the party again? The answer to that question will be revealed when candidates sign up on Thursday to run for party chairman.

The KMT is scheduled to hold a by-election to select Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) successor on April 7. Ma resigned from the post on Feb. 13 after he was indicted on corruption charges.

Some party members have expressed concern that Ma's resignation might trigger a new round of party infighting and jeopardize the party's chances in the runup to the year-end legislative elections.

Support for Lien

KMT Legislator Hsu Shu-po (許舒博) claimed on Friday that more than half of KMT legislators supported the idea of giving Lien the reins of the party again.

Lien led the party between 2000 and 2005 during which he ran for the presidency in 2000 and 2004 and failed in both bids. He was given the ceremonial title of KMT honorary chairman when he retired.

Hsu, who took the initiative in calling for Lien's assumption of the party leadership again, said that 47 elected KMT lawmakers had already signed his appeal, in addition to 20 party-appointed lawmakers, which would account for more than half of the party's 111 lawmakers.

Claiming that more party lawmakers had promised to support but refused to sign his appeal, Hsu said that the number of elected party lawmakers supporting his idea was "sure to exceed 50."

Contents

However, he refused to disclose the contents of the appeal, saying only that he would vouch for the truth of his claim.

Hsu said the appeal would be presented to Lien and hope to spare the party a leadership crisis stemming from the resignation of Ma.

Lien returned to Taiwan on Friday night from his vacation in Australia.

In response to media queries on whether he would run for the KMT chairmanship, he said he just got off the flight and did not know anything.
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