The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) is planning to set up a “virtual” headquarters in preparation for the 2022 local elections, but is not ruling out opening physical offices to establish its presence in certain areas, it said on Friday.
The party secured five at-large seats in the Jan. 11 legislative elections.
Its legislators-at-large were sworn into office yesterday along with other members of the 113-seat Legislative Yuan.
TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ju (蔡壁如) said that the party, which started out on the Internet, would update its Web site to include information that it was unable to upload due to campaign engagements in the run-up to the elections.
All of the party’s activities and plans are to be announced on the Web site, Tsai said, adding that the party is developing a mobile app for party members and staff.
Chen Wan-hui (陳琬惠) is to be in charge of the party’s legislative caucus, Tsai said, adding that TPP Secretary-General Chang Che-yang (張哲揚) is to oversee headquarter affairs, which would include human resources, finances and data archives.
Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) is to be responsible for the Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung areas, while Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) is to be in charge of Taoyuan, and Hsinchu and Miaoli counties, she said.
Kao Hung-an (高虹安) is to be in charge of party affairs in Taichung, and Changhua and Nantou counties, and Chang Chi-lu (張其祿) is to oversee affairs in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, Tsai said, adding that she would be responsible for Yunlin and Chiayi counties, as well as Tainan.
The party would deliberate whether it needs to establish local centers to facilitate services, Tsai said.
Chang Che-yang said that the online headquarters would be the primary mode for engagement with supporters over the next six months.
Pre-election events have proven that it is difficult to connect with farmers’ associations and other influential groups without local chapters, he said.
How well the party performs would be a key indicator of where it should set up physical offices, he added.
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