The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday held its first-ever direct election of local branch directors in 10 cities and counties, a poll that many believe will have a direct impact on the KMT’s strategic planning for next year’s elections for special municipality mayors and city and county councilors.
The KMT poll was held after the party passed an amendment to its charter during its congress in September last year to allow members to directly vote for the heads of their local branches.
Such positions were traditionally filled by party chairpersons, but the KMT’s defeat in last year’s presidential and legislative elections prompted many KMT members to call for internal reforms.
Photo: CNA
The results of the poll, which were revealed after 4pm, appear to reflect KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih’s (吳敦義) leadership and his preparations for next year’s elections.
One of the most contested branch leader posts was in Taipei, where former Taipei Department of Civil Affairs commissioner Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹) ran against Taipei City Councilor Chung Hsiao-ping (鍾小平).
Prior to the election, Huang Lu filed a lawsuit against Chung for what she called his unfounded allegations that she had tried to bribe voters. Chung filed a countersuit for false charges.
After Huang Lu was informally declared the winner, by 1,011 ballots, Chung withdrew his charges.
Tainan City Councilor Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) appears to have won in Tainan, Hualien County Medical Association director Chou Yung-hung (鄒永宏) won in Hualien, Taitung County Councilor Wu Hsiu-hua (吳秀華) won in that county and former KMT legislator Tsao Erh-chang (曹爾忠) won in Lienchiang County.
Five races had only a single candidate, including the former mayor of then-Taipei County’s Sanchong City (三重) Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) in New Taipei City; Hsinchu County Councilor deputy speaker Chen Chien-hsien (陳見賢) in that county, and the incumbent branch directors in Taoyuan, Pingtung County and Kinmen County: Yang Ming-sheng (楊敏盛), Liao Wan-ju (廖婉汝) and Lin Fang-hsuan (林芳旋).
The list of winning candidates will be formally announced after it is reviewed by the KMT’s Central Standing Committee on Wednesday, the party said.
Taipei saw the lowest turnout rate among the KMT’s 10 administrative areas, with just 19.09 percent, while Kinmen had the highest voting rate at 64.9 percent.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was accompanied by Huang Lu when he cast his ballot at Nanmen Elementary School in Taipei, but he did not speak to reporters.
Wu also cast his ballot at the school, saying the competition overall was intense, but he hoped to see “fair play.”
After polling closed and the provisional winners were announced, Wu said that he hopes the new directors will be faithful to the party, help collect grassroots opinion and unify local supporters.
He said he would not ask the new directors not to enter next year’s municipal elections because they can each weigh their own options.
The newly elected branch directors are to be sworn in on Wednesday next week.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS