The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is to form a task force to review its defeats in Saturday’s presidential and legislative elections, and propose plans to reform the party, KMT deputy spokesman Huang Hsin-hua (黃心華) said yesterday.
Top party officials met for the first time since the elections, and the party’s “major setbacks” were discussed and an agreement reached to establish a task force to thoroughly review the party’s performance and propose reform plans, Huang said.
They also discussed the resignation of KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and executive-level members, he said, adding: “Once the Central Standing Committee approves of it, a chairperson by-election will be held immediately.”
Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei
To ensure the operation of the party during the transitional period, all management-level members have been urged to continue carrying out their duties, he said.
Among those at the meeting were KMT Vice Chairman Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), Organizational Development Committee director Tu Chien-teh (杜建德), Culture and Communications Committee director-general Cheng Mei-hua (程美華), Administration and Management Committee director Chiu Da-chan (邱大展), Disciplinary Committee director Wei Ping-cheng (魏平政) and other executive-level members.
Wu on Saturday night said that he and all executive-level members involved in the elections would tender their resignation to the Central Standing Committee tomorrow to take responsibility for the defeats.
The committee is expected to approve Wu’s resignation, but no one has yet publicly committed to running to succeed him.
KMT Tainan chapter head Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) had previously said that he would run for chairmanship after the elections, but he appears to be rethinking the move.
Party members have floated the names of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), and KMT legislators Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) and Johnny Chiang (江啟臣).
Asked by reporters in Kaohsiung yesterday if he was interested, Han said he “has absolutely no plan” to run for chairman.
In an interview with China Review News Agency published yesterday, Johnny Chiang denied considering the idea, saying his priority is to stabilize things on the legislative front for the KMT.
Hou and Chiang Wan-an were vague when pressed on Sunday.
As New Taipei City mayor, he is preoccupied with his job of running the city, Hou said, adding yesterday that KMT members should calm down and ponder the party’s issues and its next steps.
Chiang Wan-an said that the KMT must thoroughly review its losses and that its problems “would not be solved in a short time.”
Additional reporting by Tsai Wen-chu and CNA
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