President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has reportedly decided to resign as chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to take responsibility for the party’s crushing defeat in the nine-in-one elections on Saturday, but the news had not been confirmed by KMT spokesperson Charles Chen (陳以信) as of press time.
The news that Ma would make a “big announcement” at a meeting of the party’s Central Standing Committee on Wednesday to resign as chairman emerged on various media outlets almost simultaneously yesterday morning.
Chen said he was not able to confirm the reports, but added that Ma had explicitly told the party that he would never cling to the chairmanship and would take responsibility for the election results.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The KMT won in six of the nation’s 22 cities and counties, losing control of historical strongholds it held in Taipei, Greater Taichung and Taoyuan to the Democratic Progressive Party. It previously controlled 15 seats.
On Saturday, Ma approved the resignations of Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) and KMT Secretary-General Tseng Tung-chuan (曾永權).
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday morning that he offered to resign as KMT vice chairman on Saturday night.
Hau said the election results are a warning from voters to the KMT, calling on the party to examine the message conveyed by the losses and strive to listen more attentively to what people have to say.
Hau said on Facebook that as an incumbent mayor who was responsible for campaigning for KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien (連勝文), he takes responsibility for the loss in the capital.
If Ma resigns, Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), one of the KMT’s eight vice chairs, reportedly would take up the position temporarily until an election is held in three months to select a new chairperson.
Wu said he believes Ma has been deliberating whether he should step down as chairman, adding that to remain in the role would be more difficult than to resign because it was like “burning the candle at both ends.”
Defeated Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) said he would continue to serve the party as a vice chairman, although he had considered resigning when he learned of Hau’s decision.
In an interview with China Television, Hu said he would rather work with the party in this time of difficulty than resign.
The reason the KMT lost the election is because it did not understand the younger generation, Hu said.
“Young people take for granted what they are given and they think they are owed what they long for. If you give them an iPhone 5, they are still mad at you because you did not give them an iPhone 6,” he said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old