Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman and presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday released the party’s list of legislator-at-large nominees, saying the lineup demonstrated his efforts to allow more professionals and new faces to represent the KMT.
“More than half of the so-called ‘safe seats’ on the entire list are occupied by individuals with certain expertise and capabilities. Hopefully, this effort can give more specialists and upcoming talentsthe opportunity to represent the KMT in the legislature,” Chu said on the sidelines of a forum to promote his housing policy in Taipei yesterday morning, an hour before the KMT headquarters released the list.
Dismissing critics who lambasted the list, part of which was leaked on Thursday evening, as a continuation of the party’s patronage system, Chu said he would humbly accept all criticism against the list, but his determination to usher in reforms would remain unwavering.
Photo: Wang Han-ping, Taipei Times
The process of reform would undoubtedly be difficult and might even be filled with dangers, Chu said.
“Nevertheless, please have faith in my determination in implementing reforms. Changes might not come quickly, but I will do my utmost to fulfill the goal,” Chu said.
The KMT estimates it could garner sufficient votes in the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections to secure legislative seats for the first 12 people on the list of 34.
As widely predicted, the top spot is taken by Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who has held the speakership for nearly 17 years, since February 1999.
The speaker is followed by Tamkang University dean of student affairs Ko Chih-en (柯志恩); Kaohsiung Medical University vice president Chen Yi-Ming (陳宜民); Taiwan New Immigrant Development and Exchange Association director-general Lin Li-chan (林麗蟬), who is a Cambodian immigrant spouse; TEDxTaipei cofounder Jason Hsu (許毓仁) and Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman William Tseng (曾銘宗).
Also on the “safe list” are — in order of ranking — KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順); former Taoyuan County commissioner John Wu (吳志揚); former KMT legislator Chang Li-shan (張麗善), Hualien County Commissioner Fu Kun-chi’s (傅崑萁) wife, Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚); Presidential Office Secretary-General Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) and KMT Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏).
In an apparent attempt by the KMT to reach out to the younger generation, Chu’s campaign office spokesperson Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯), a 26-year-old graduate National Chengchi University’s postgraduate program in political science, is 17th on the list.
Three members of the KMT Youth Corp also made the list: 31-year-old Lee Cheng-hao (李正皓) at No. 31, 25-year-old Lin Chia-hsing (林家興) at No. 33; and 22-year-old Hsiao Ching-yan (蕭敬嚴) at No. 34.
The nominee lineup conforms to Chu’s previously announced plan to give the safe seats on the list to three groups of people: the future choice for legislative speakership, professionals in specific fields and the KMT’s reserved talents for the 2018 mayoral and commissioner race.
The list was sent to the KMT’s Central Standing Committee for review at yesterday’s meeting, during which dozens of committee members voiced their concerns about the selection of the nominees.
The party’s 211-seat Central Committee is due to vote on the 34 nominees today.
Those who receive disapproval from more than half of the committee members at today’s the meeting would see their nomination annulled.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee director-general Lin Yi-hua (林奕華), who 14th on the list, said the nominees would be required to sign two affidavits after their nomination was passed by the Central Committee.
“One of them asks the candidates to pledge support for legislative reforms, while the other requires them to join the 2018 mayoral and commissioner elections should they be called upon by party headquarters. Those who refuse to comply would be stripped of their party membership,” Lin said.
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