The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday approved its list of nominations for four special municipality elections in November amid concerns over split votes as some councilors who failed in the primaries threatened to run as independent candidates.
The KMT Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday approved the nomination of 33 candidates in Taipei City, 42 in Sinbei City, 43 in Greater Taichung City and 41 in Greater Kaohsiung City. Nominees for Greater Tainan City were still under negotiation.
The city councilor elections in the five municipalities will be held along with the mayoral elections on Nov. 27.
PHOTO: PAN HSING-HUI, TAIPEI TIMES
While the number of seats in Taipei City and Sinbei City have been increased to 62 and 66 respectively, the number of seats in Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung have decreased.
Some incumbent councilors who failed to win in the primaries, including Taipei City Councilor Wang Chih-ping (汪志冰) and 14 Taichung City councilors, have protested against the primary process — which determined the results based on polls alone — and have threatened to leave the party and run as independent candidates.
Wang, who was the only incumbent city councilor to lose in the primary election, expressed regret over the results and said that she would insist on running in the election.
Seeking party unity in the elections, KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) has been visiting councilors who failed in the primary to dissuade them from running in the elections and has been trying to arrange for them to join other candidates’ campaign teams instead.
Upon finalizing the list of city councilors nominees, the KMT will step up its efforts in the election campaign.
The party will hold five meetings later this month with party delegates around the nation to gather party resources to campaign for the KMT’s candidates.
The KMT will hold its 18th Party Congress next month and use the occasion to boost its election momentum and to promote the party’s candidates.
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