New Power Party (NPP) Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday said he was confident that the party’s approval rating would hit 20 percent by next year.
Although it only has 2,238 members, a recent poll found that it had an approval rating of 17 percent, Huang said at the NPP’s first-ever general assembly at its headquarters in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店).
The NPP is a vigorous party with a vigorous culture, Huang said.
Photo: Ho Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The theme for next year’s presidential and legislative elections would be further discussed after a management reshuffle according to the revised party charter, he said.
The charter needs to be revised due to provisions of the Political Party Act (政黨法), Huang said, adding that this was one of the issues discussed at the assembly.
When the NPP was formed, the act did not exist and the charter does not conform with its regulations, Huang said.
The revised charter would include portions specifying age requirements for members, introducing the party’s logo, as well as describing its organizational structure and rules for the election of party representatives, he said.
Hopefully, party members who have excelled — especially those who performed admirably in last year’s local elections — would be elected to the standing committee, NPP Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said.
Several NPP members called for the party to sanction NPP Taoyuan chapter director Tseng Wei-kai (曾威凱) for publicly supporting independent Taipei city councilor candidate Wang Yi-kai (王奕凱) instead of the party’s nominee, Huang Yu-fen (黃郁芬), when they contested the Shilin-Beitou (士林-北投) constituency ahead of last year’s elections.
Tseng before the elections said on Facebook: “Friends in Shilin and Beitou, please do not hesitate to support No. 11 Wang Yi-kai.”
Huang, who won the election, said she was against punishment or a demand for an apology, but called for clearly defined rules to prevent similar incidents.
The motion to subject Tseng to disciplinary measures was vetoed, with the party ruling that punishment would not be conducive to party inclusiveness, while party rules relating to such situations are yet to be established.
However, the party passed a resolution to create rules to prevent similar incidents.
Before the assembly, Tseng said that he would respect the opinions of party members regardless of their decision.
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