Newly elected Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday vowed to learn from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and recruit talent from schools and at the grassroots level to prepare the party for a political comeback.
Hung, the party’s first female chairperson, was sworn in at a handover ceremony at KMT headquarters, which was attended by several senior party members, including President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), Legislator and former legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and former KMT chairmen Lien Chan (連戰) and Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄).
New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who replaced Hung as the KMT’s presidential candidate in October last year, appeared briefly at the ceremony to greet the attendees, but left before Ma and Hung arrived.
“We have to admit that the KMT did not give young people enough room to fully bring their talents into full play. I must say our opponent [the DPP] is more daring in recruiting talented individuals,” Hung said in her inaugural speech.
Hung said she does not rule out learning from the party’s opponents and drawing from their strong suits, adding that she plans to go into schools and the grassroots level to scout for political talent.
To reconstruct our “combat squads,” the KMT needs to expound its views on several key issues, including the Constitution, the founding principles of the nation, national identity, cross-strait relations, Taiwan’s global and regional positions, and livelihood issues, Hung said.
Acknowledging president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Hung said Taiwan does not belong only to the DPP, but to the entire population of the Republic of China (ROC).
“I hereby swear to defend the ROC, the path of peaceful cross-strait development and the values of democracy, rule of law, integrity and distributive justice,” Hung said.
“I will also ensure that the KMT fulfills its responsibility as an opposition party,” she said.
Ma said that while many KMT supporters were dispirited by the party’s defeats in the 2014 local elections and the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative races, some still harbor strong ambitions to help the KMT make a comeback.
“I am responsible for the party’s two recent electoral failures. I will stand alongside Chairperson Hung to help her push for party reforms,” Ma said.
Hung is to serve as party chairperson until July next year. She was elected to fill the post left vacant by Chu, who stepped down as chairman on Jan. 16 to take responsibility for the KMT’s electoral loss.
Chu was elected as party chairman in a by-election in January last year, after his predecessor, Ma, resigned in December 2014 over the KMT’s landslide defeat in the 2014 nine-in-one elections.
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