Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) pledged urgent reforms as he was sworn in as the party’s new chairman yesterday.
“The end of the by-election is the beginning of unity,” Chiang said at his swearing-in at KMT headquarters in Taipei, which was attended by former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), and former party chairmen Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), among others.
Saturday’s by-election was held to fill the vacancy left by Wu, who stepped down last month after the party’s losses in the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Chiang defeated his sole opponent, former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), by taking nearly 69 percent of the vote.
“I have always believed that what is needed between generations is dialogue and not confrontation; what is needed is cooperation and not conflict,” Chiang said, adding that as party chairman, he hopes to facilitate understanding and cooperation among different generations within the party.
The KMT’s defeats in the presidential elections in 2016 and this year “highlight that the party is behind the times in many aspects and urgently needs to catch up through reform and innovation,” he said. “We do not have any time to waste.”
“In an age of democracy, the KMT can no longer expect a wise leader to make all the decisions,” he said, adding that he would promote a collective leadership.
Chiang has proposed the creation of an 11-member “decisionmaking platform” within the party that he says would advise the chairperson and assist them in the decisionmaking process by presenting a diverse range of views.
Speaking on cross-strait policy, Chiang said: “My basic principle is to stick to the values of the Republic of China’s free and democratic system and strive for cross-strait peace and common well-being.”
While trust needed to be “rebuilt” between Taiwan and China, the KMT’s most important task at the moment is its own reform and transformation, Chiang said.
KMT Central Standing Committee member Lin Rong-te (林榮德), who served as acting chairman after Wu stepped down in January, said that the coming year would be key in determining whether the KMT can return to power.
Wu Poh-hsiung said that he “dare not say ‘congratulations’” to Chiang, given the task that lies ahead.
“This is not the attainment of power and status, but rather dedication and sacrifice for a difficult job,” he said.
Ma, who is also a former KMT chairman, said while he agrees that the party should first focus on reform, its position on Taiwan’s relationship with the world and with China should also be priorities.
Taiwan should have “close relations” with the US, “peaceful relations” with China and “friendly relations” with Japan, he said.
Chiang, 48, is a US-educated politician who entered politics in 2010 when he was appointed minister of the Executive Yuan’s now-defunct Government Information Office.
He has won a legislative seat in Taichung’s eighth electoral district for three consecutive elections beginning in 2012 and received more votes that any other KMT candidate in the Jan. 11 legislative election.
Additional reporting by CNA
A series of discussions on the legacy of martial law and authoritarianism are to be held at the Taipei International Book Exhibition this month, featuring findings and analysis by the Transitional Justice Commission. The commission and publisher Book Republic organized the series, entitled “Escaping the Nation’s Labyrinth of Memory: What Authoritarian Symbols and Records Can Tell Us,” to help people navigate narratives through textual analysis and comparisons with other nations. The four-day series is to begin on Thursday next week with a discussion between commission Chairwoman Yang Tsui (楊翠), Polish-language translator Lin Wei-yun (林蔚昀), and Polish author and artist Pawel Gorecki comparing
‘EFFECTIVE DETERRENCE’: If the Biden administration suspends arms sales to Taiwan, the military could still ready a nimble fighting force for defense, an analyst said The “US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific” last week sparked debate among analysts after US President Donald Trump declassified the document 20 years ahead of schedule. Trump on Tuesday last week released the document that had governed US strategic action in the region since the US leader approved its use in 2018. The document, which outlines US priorities in the region, emphasizes the importance of defending Taiwan against military aggression and facilitating the country’s development of asymmetric strategies and capabilities. The overall directive of the document is for the US to prevent China from establishing sustained air and sea dominance inside the first
MOVING OUT: A former professor said that rent and early education costs in Taipei are the nation’s highest, which makes it difficult for young people to start families The population of Taipei last year fell to the lowest in 23 years due to high rent, more transportation options and the expansion of northern cities into a single metropolis, academics and city officials said on Monday. Data released this month by the Ministry of the Interior showed that the capital was home to 2,602,418 people last year, down 42,623 from 2019. The decline is second only to 1993, when the population fell by 42,828 people, while Taipei’s population was the lowest it has been since 1997. Taipei saw the biggest drop among the six special municipalities, while Taoyuan led the group in
A legislator yesterday called for authorities to investigate the sale of Chinese-made, Internet-connected karaoke machines containing “propaganda songs.” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said she was approached by a person who had discovered Chinese patriotic songs such as My Motherland (我的祖國) — which is commonly referred to as China’s “second national anthem” — in Chinese-made karaoke devices sold in Taiwan. The machines are popular, as they can connect to the Internet, providing access to thousands of songs, she said. One retailer, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the machines first entered the local market about three years ago, starting with
RSS