The contest between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) and former KMT chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) in the party’s upcoming chairperson election has once again put the spotlight on the KMT.
However, if the party cannot rid itself of its three main problems — factional manipulation, members’ selfishness and lack of strength to fight election battles — it will likely find it difficult to reignite supporters’ passions — no matter how badly the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) performs.
The influence of the KMT’s factions and even its connections to organized crime have always been the party’s Achilles’ heel.
Using the slogan “transition of power, clean out ‘black gold,’” then-DPP presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) defeated the KMT to become president in 2000. Although factional manipulation has weakened after several power transfers, factions still have influence in the KMT’s internal elections.
A media report said that controversial local faction leaders are attempting to ally themselves with stronger candidates in the party’s chairperson election to regain control of party resources. If true, the public is likely to be disgusted with the comeback of factional KMT politics. This would also alarm swing voters, and factional power struggles could even shake the party’s support base.
Selfishness is also a long-standing problem among KMT heavyweights.
In 2019, then-KMT chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) allegedly urged Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) and then-Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to take part in the party’s presidential primary to block Chu’s presidential bid. True or not, the move ruined the party’s favorable position.
To avoid repeating the same scenario, Chiang has pledged not to run for president in 2024, saying that he is planning to act as a “kingmaker.”
Given the circumstances, Chu has been forced to name New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) and Han as potential KMT presidential candidates, excluding himself from the list.
Chu is trying to avoid speculation about a potential presidential bid by naming other potential candidates, but manipulation has put those being named in an awkward situation. Former Changhua County commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源), one of the four candidates for KMT chairperson, even claimed that Chu wants to run for president more than anyone, demanding that he clearly denounce a presidential bid in 2024, which highlights the KMT heavyweights’ selfishness.
Recovering combative power in election battles is another urgent matter for the KMT. Today, the party’s mayors and county commissioners do not necessarily take orders from their chairman. Besides, following major defeats in legislative elections in 2016 and last year, the loss of legislative seats has weakened the chairperson’s role.
This shows that the party remains reluctant to hand the baton to young and middle-aged members.
Over the past few months, the 60-year-old Chu has repeatedly criticized 49-year-old Chiang’s leadership. His criticism might sound reasonable at first, but even if Chu is elected KMT chairman, he would likely be unable to reverse the party’s weakness in the legislature.
Additionally, the party’s local leaders — whose influence has grown — might not necessarily take orders from him either. This means that it is no longer possible for a KMT chairperson to become a strong leader. Simply feeling good about oneself is not enough to rebuild the party’s strength.
Niu Tse-hsun is a professor in Chinese Culture University’s advertising department.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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