The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) announced the reshuffle of four branch directors yesterday to pave the way for the special municipality elections next year.
Former Yilan County branch director Chiang Cheng-yen (江政彥) will take over as Taipei County branch director, while Taichung County branch deputy secretary-general Wang Ming-tung (王明通) will be promoted to branch director.
Taipei County branch deputy director Liu Ming-chien (劉敏謙) will take over as director of Taitung County branch, while Yilan County branch deputy secretary-general Chiang Chen-ching (江陳清) will take over as branch director, based on the arrangement finalized by KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰).
The KMT also tweaked its organization and development committee. The small reshuffle was made following the party’s defeats in the local government elections last month and the legislative by-elections this month.
Party members complained that local branches were disorganized and did too little for the campaigns.
Chen Li-ling (陳麗玲), the KMT candidate who lost the legislative by-election in Taoyuan County, criticized the party as “rotten to the very roots” because the local branch offered little help in organizing her election campaign.
Local branch directors play important roles in organizing local elections. KMT spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) said the personnel reshuffle aimed at strengthening the party’s competitiveness in elections.
The KMT lost all three seats in legislative by-elections in Taoyuan, Taichung and Taitung counties. More legislative elections will be held in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Chiayi and Hualien counties on Feb. 27. Special municipality elections will be held in December.
Lee said the party would complete the nomination process for the special municipality elections by April.
KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) said the party had reflected upon its performance in the by-elections and would put more energy into winning elections this year.
Meanwhile, the party’s history department is planning to put historical documents related to Republic of China (ROC) founding father Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) on exhibition as part of celebrations for the ROC’s 100th anniversary next year.
KMT history department director Shao Ming-huang (邵銘煌) said that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who doubles as KMT chairman, had asked the party to gather historical documents related to Sun and the 10 revolutions he led to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.
Shao, however, dismissed a report by the Chinese-language United Daily News that the KMT plans to invite film director Ang Lee (李安) to shoot a film about Sun.
“We’ve got various opinions and advice on the celebrations for the anniversary, and shooting a film on Dr. Sun Yat-sen ... but we have not made any decisions yet,” he said.
The ROC’s centennial celebrates the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty by revolutionaries led by Sun and the founding of the ROC in 1912. The Ma administration has formed a Republic of China (Taiwan) Centenary Foundation to plan a series of events celebrating the anniversary next year.
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