The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said it does not rule out establishing a special task force to handle growing calls within the party for direct elections of chairpeople of local branches, which are seen as an attempt to weaken KMT Chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) power.
Speaking at an impromptu news conference in Taipei, KMT Culture and Communications Committee director Chow Chi-wai (周志偉) said KMT headquarters attaches great importance to the idea of letting the chairpeople of the party’s local branches be chosen through direct elections, rather than being designated by the party’s chairperson.
“However, whether via designation or election, the selection of local branch heads is a huge political project and a serious matter that cannot be handled lightly,” Chow said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Chow said the KMT headquarters does not rule out forming a special task force in the near future, which would likely be headed by one of the KMT vice chairmen, to work out supplementary measures to ensure that the final decision is made only after careful and thorough consideration.
Chow refused to speculate as to whether such a proposal is aimed at undermining Hung’s power.
Chow was referring to a proposal initiated by KMT Central Standing Committee member Yao Chiang-lin (姚江臨), which has reportedly received the signatures of nearly 100 party representatives and is to be submitted to a KMT national congress for deliberation next month.
Elaborating on his proposal, Yao yesterday said that the idea has been brought up periodically since former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) led the KMT.
“My opinion is that in light of the KMT’s recent spate of electoral defeats, we should place more importance on democracy and the party’s ties with grassroots members,” Yao said.
Yao said chairpeople of the KMT’s local branches would only have to answer to the party leadership if it is the source of their power, but they would be obliged to listen to the opinions of KMT members if they are directly elected.
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