The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has expressed support for a proposal by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to temporarily extend the terms of local government heads from four years to five to bring elections in line with other polls.
Ma told KMT lawmakers last week that he hoped the caucus would support amending the Local Government Act (地方制度法) to change the terms of mayors and county commissioners and city and county councilors from four years to five years to pave the way for holding the elections of local chiefs and councilors simultaneously with the municipal elections.
The change would apply to the local government heads and councilors to be elected in December.
KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), convener of the legislature’s Interior Affairs Committee, said yesterday the plan could cut electoral costs.
He said a bill on the term extension had been submitted during the previous legislative session by himself and KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) and had passed its first reading.
Wu said that although some KMT members believe the election plan will help the party, which controls 18 of the country’s 25 cities and counties, in the polls, he did not believe it would have a significant effect.
Wu said he had suggested that the president decide as soon as possible whether chiefs of townships and villages under local governments should be appointed by mayors and commissioners or elected.
DPP Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) said the amendment could make the competition between the ruling and opposition parties even more fierce and deepen political tensions among the public during election season.
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