The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) legislative by-election candidate for Taoyuan yesterday said the party had done a poor job of campaigning, warning that the party could suffer another setback in next month’s legislative by-elections if it failed to unite party members.
Chen Li-ling (陳麗玲), the KMT’s candidate who lost the by-election in Taoyuan County to her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) counterpart, Kuo Jung-chung (郭榮宗), on Saturday, said the party had failed to organize her election campaign.
“The party is rotten from the roots. The local branch offered little help in the election campaign … It even refused to provide manpower and a car when we canvassed streets to thank voters for support after the by-election,” she said.
Chen made the remarks yesterday when joining party officials and members to visit the tomb of late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) in commemoration of the 22nd anniversary of his death.
Chen said the party’s local branch did not mobilize members or local supporters to participate in her campaign events and some local branch workers didn’t even answer cellphones when she tried to reach them for support.
Chen urged the party to push for party reform and unite members to have a chance of winning in the legislative by-elections next month.
“I don’t want those candidates in the upcoming by-elections to face the same kind of situation I faced,” she said.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) led KMT officials to commemorate Chiang yesterday in Taoyuan. He did not offer any comments when asked about the party’s losses on Saturday.
KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) said the party had reflected upon its performance in the by-elections and would put more energy into winning next month.
The KMT lost all three seats in legislative by-elections in Taoyuan, Taichung and Taitung counties.
The party’s organization and development committee yesterday presented a report on the party’s defeat on Saturday and attributed the setback to the low turnout and voter apathy.
Ma asked party members to face the results with humility and learn from that lesson.
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