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KMT shelves proposed poll restrictions

Changhua County Council Deputy Spokesman Hsiao Ching-tien, center, leads demonstrators at the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) Central Standing Committee meeting to protest a proposal barring elected officials from running for another post unless they have completed more than half of their current term of office. PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES

The Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) Central Standing Committee (CSC) yesterday shelved a controversial proposal aimed at preventing the party's elected local officials from running in the legislative elections in December.

Commonly known as the "one-half clause," the proposal would bar elected officials from running for any other elective post unless they have served more than half of their term of office.

If the new proposal had passed, local government leaders and councilors who were elected in December 2005 would not be allowed to run in the year-end legislative elections.

To express their opposition, around 50 Changhua County councilors and local township mayors, led by Changhua County Council Deputy Spokesman Hsiao Ching-tien (蕭景田), staged a demonstration at the KMT headquarters yesterday as the weekly CSC meeting was in progress.

The committee is the party's highest decisionmaking body.

"[The KMT nomination] should be decided through a primary election, not by stopping people from joining," said Hsiao, who is seeking KMT nomination in the upcoming legislative election. "The `one-half clause' is a regression for democracy."

"[The KMT nomination] should be decided through a primary election, not by stopping people from joining. The `one-half clause' is a regression for democracy."

Hsiao Ching-tien, Changhua County Council deputy spokesman

Since 21 of the committee's 31 members are legislators, Hsiao and his supporters believed the clause was proposed to eliminate new blood competition.

To ensure that their voices were heard, the demonstrators charged into the meeting room, chanting slogans and holding up banners.

"Don't expect us to help in the 2008 presidential election if the `one-half clause' is passed today," said Li Shi-yan (李詩焱), a Changhua County councilor.

Their voices were certainly heard as the CSC decided to shelve the proposal.

"Eleven CSC members have expressed their opposition and doubts and suggested changes [to the proposal]," KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) told a press conference after the meeting.

"Voting [on the proposal] could not be held as less than half of the CSC's members were present at the time," he added.

Demonstrators who waited outside the meeting room cheered when they heard the news, shouting: "Long live the KMT."

Meanwhile, to ensure "fairness in the campaign for KMT chairman," Acting Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) resigned from his post.

Vice Chairman Chiang Ping-kung (江丙坤) will take over as acting chairman, Wu said.

Another candidate for party chairman, Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), also resigned as CSC member.
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