The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee yesterday approved changes to nomination rules for legislators-at-large, paving the way for Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to continue serving as speaker if the party retained its legislative majority next year.
The revised regulations state that KMT legislators-at-large can only serve two terms, but those who have made special contributions to the party, met the needs of the party and served as legislative speaker, are eligible for re-election.
Wang, who is now in his second term as a legislator-at-large, could serve as speaker again if the KMT nominated him as a legislator-at-large candidate for the Jan. 14 elections.
Described as the “speaker’s clause,” the revision was seen as the KMT’s solution to Wang’s situation. He would have had to step down under the original nomination rules.
If re-elected for another four-year term, Wang, who first assumed the post in 1999, could become the nation’s longest-serving speaker at 17 years.
His predecessor, Ni Wen-ya (倪文亞), currently holds the record with 16 years.
As the revisions only apply to the speaker, Deputy Legislative Speaker Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), who has served two terms as legislator-at-large, will not be nominated as a legislator-at-large candidate in the election.
Wang yesterday thanked President and KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and the party for approving the revisions and said he would spare no efforts to serve the nation if he was re-elected speaker.
The committee also approved the nomination timetable for legislators-at-large. The KMT’s central nomination committee will present the nomination list on Nov. 16 and send it to the Central Standing Committee. The KMT will hold its Central Committee meeting on Nov. 19 to finalize the nomination list.
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