The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday finalized its nomination mechanism for December’s five-municipality elections, saying candidates would be selected via negotiations rather than through primaries to prevent aspirants from engaging in fierce competitions to win the nomination.
KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) told the press conference held after the party’s weekly Central Standing Committee yesterday afternoon that the committee had agreed to form a task force to negotiate among individuals interested in running in the year-end elections.
The committee also agreed that if negotiations break down, the selection of candidates could be decided by opinion polls without a party vote, Su said.
Su, meanwhile, downplayed former premier Su Tseng-chang’s (蘇貞昌) announcement that he hoped to stand for Taipei City mayor, saying it was Su Tseng-chang’s personal wish and that it would require the approval of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Su Jun-pin said Su Tseng-chang’s decision would not affect the KMT’s nomination process, which would proceed as scheduled.
“Our strategy is simple,” he said. “We will nominate the best candidates who will win most support from the public.”
Starting today, the KMT spokesman said party Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) will begin the negotiation process by visiting interested individuals.
KMT spokeswoman Chen Shu-jung (陳淑蓉) yesterday confirmed that King will meet Taichung Mayor Jason Hu today to discuss his intention to seek re-election.
Apart from the December elections, the committee also heard a full report on the party’s losses in Saturday’s legislative by-elections.
King, responsible for the choice of candidates and campaign strategy, apologized for “not working hard enough,” the spokesman said.
King vowed to push reform, hoping to change the stereotypical impression of the party and reclaim public support, Su Jun-pin said, adding that the party would continue to nominate clean and honest candidates.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who chaired the meeting, blamed the defeats in Taoyuan and Hsinchu on split votes and a failure to bring local factions in line.
Su said Ma emphasized the importance of pushing reform, including “party affairs” and “government affairs.”
“There is no turning back now that the reform initiative is launched,” Su Jun-pin quoted Ma as saying. “We believe our insistence will eventually win the recognition of the Taiwanese people.”
Meanwhile, eight members of Ma’s campaign youth corps petitioned the KMT to pursue proper reform after several of them who were interested in joining the party’s youth team were turned down for “ludicrous” reasons.
Chen Ying-ju (陳映儒) said one of the reasons given was an applicant did not have a Facebook account.
“The party says they want to push reform. If they mean what they say, they should begin with the youth corps,” he said.
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