The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday announced that the registration period for party chairperson candidates has been extended two weeks into next month to encourage more members to participate.
Registration was originally scheduled to run from Monday to Friday next week, but the KMT’s Central Standing Committee yesterday passed an emergency resolution to postpone it until Sept. 15 to Sept. 19.
KMT Legislator Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐), who proposed the resolution to delay the process, said that the original date felt too rushed and that following victories in the recall movement, party participation and confidence were high.
Photo: CNA
KMT Culture and Communications Committee head Lin Kuan-yu (林寬裕) said that other than the registration period, all other dates for the chairperson election would remain unchanged.
The election is to take place on Oct. 18.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) supported the proposal to delay registration to shore up support and encourage more members to participate in the election process, Lin said.
With regards to Chu’s prior statement that he supported Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) as the next party leader, Lin said that Chu would support whoever was chosen by the party.
Although Chu has publicly asked Lu to take on the role of party chairperson, Lu on Sunday made clear she did not have any intention to run for the position.
In a Facebook post today, Changhua County Council Speaker Hsieh Dien-lin (謝典林) said that the best way for Lu to carry out her job well is for a more junior figure in the KMT to lead the party, something Hsieh said he would be willing to do.
Others who have expressed interest include Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), former Changhua County commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源), former lawmaker Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), former KMT deputy secretary-general Chang Ya-ping (張雅屏) and KMT Central Standing Committee member Sun Chien-ping (孫健萍).
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