Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei city councilors yesterday launched a “KMT chairperson election watchdog group,” vowing to put an end to the “corrupt” signature collection process, which they said has fueled intraparty fighting.
Led by KMT Taipei City Councilor Lee Hsin (李新), an aspirant in last year’s chairperson election, the group said that interested parties have rigged the process by acquiring duplicate signatures so that aspirants could meet the 3 percent signature threshold.
The KMT charter requires aspirants to collect signatures from at least 3 percent of the party’s 480,000 members to qualify for the election.
Before the results were announced yesterday, the total number of signatures collected had already surpassed 720,000 — 240,000 more than the total number of party members, the group said.
“The KMT cannot continue to fail,” Lee said. “The duplicate signatures that were gathered through falsification has put the KMT’s shamelessness on full display. The extra 240,000 signatures have made the KMT a public laughingstock.”
Saying the signature collection process has only pained KMT supporters while its detractors gloat over the mistake, Lee called for the rule to be abolished before the next party chairperson election.
He made a list of appeals to which he hoped each candidate would agree.
Candidates should promise to lead the party to secure victories in next year’s Taipei and New Taipei City mayoral elections if elected and resign to assume political responsibility if they fail, he said.
They should strictly abide by the party’s election rules and not engage in online smear campaigns against their rivals under risk of expulsion, he said, referring to the accusations that the aspirants have leveled against each other in this election.
Lee urged candidates to take part in a televised debate to give the public insights into how they intend to reform the party.
He called for the formation of a “KMT reform committee” composed of party lawmakers, councilors and third parties.
Lee also called out some candidates for making rash statements, such as defining cross-strait relations as “one China, same interpretation,” without first seeking party consensus.
Such statements have shaken the party and harmed it, he said.
“One China, same interpretation” was a controversial idea promoted by KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱).
He also criticized “a handful of people” in the KMT who have oversight of its allegedly ill-gotten party assets, saying their reluctance to address the issue have given the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee the opportunity to chastise the party in public.
He called for a party restructuring to give members holding public offices the authority to address issues relating to the party’s assets.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Li Keng Kuei-fang (厲耿桂芳) suggested that an online registration system be created to authenticate the identities of members who want to submit signatures by having them present their national identity cards and KMT membership cards.
KMT Taipei City Council caucus whip Chen Yung-te (陳永德) said the platform would continue to operate after the election to monitor the new chairperson.
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