The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday elected 210 members to its Central Committee — including 14 government officials — the start of a change in its decision-making bodies ahead of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) becoming party chairman next month.
Those elected included KMT legislators Lin Yi-shih (林益世), Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) and Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), Council of Hakka Affairs Minister Huang Yu-cheng (黃玉振) and National Youth Commission Minister Wang Yu-ting (王昱婷), academics and representatives of overseas compatriots.
Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) and Minister of Education Wu Ching-chi (吳清基), who had been nominated when they were minister of the Veterans Affairs Commission and Taipei City deputy mayor respectively, had said they would not take the seats to prevent any controversy.
PHOTO: CNA
The committee members were elected by 1,171 party representatives from a list of 315 candidates. Party headquarters had nominated 210 of the candidates, while rest were party members who ran on their own.
Ma, Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) were among the top party members casting their votes yesterday.
Central Committee members are eligible to run in the Central Standing Committee election on Oct. 11.
The Central Standing Committee is the highest decision-making body in the KMT and its 39 members meet once a week to approve major policies presented by the party.
It is believed that yesterday’s election and the Central Standing Committee election will help Ma consolidate his power and strengthen communication between the party, the legislature and the administration after he is sworn in as KMT chairman during the party’s national congress on Oct. 17.
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