Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday formally registered to run for the party’s top job next month and outlined six goals if elected.
The KMT is scheduled to hold elections for its chairperson and National Congress delegates on Sept. 25, after they were postponed from July 24 due to a local COVID-19 outbreak in May.
Chu, who served two terms as New Taipei City mayor from December 2010 to December 2018, announced on Aug. 2 that he would join the race for KMT chairperson. He was the KMT chairman from January 2015 to January 2016, but resigned after losing the 2016 presidential election.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
At about 10am yesterday, Chu arrived at KMT headquarters in Taipei to complete his registration as candidate.
Chu said he holds six essential goals for the position, the top one being to win the local elections next year and bring the KMT back to power in 2024.
The second is to strengthen the KMT’s leadership, consolidate its power and make it more united, he said.
Third, the KMT should gain international respect and connect with countries around the world, he said.
Fourth, the KMT must play an essential role in cross-strait relations, he said, adding that the party should act as a stabilizing and peaceful force while reconnecting the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and restoring platforms for cross-strait exchange.
“Young people are our hope,” he said, describing his fifth goal for the KMT: to place greater emphasis on young people.
Chu’s sixth goal is that party reform must continue, he said, urging KMT members to pool resources into making the KMT better.
Registration for the chairperson election ends today.
Local media reports said that KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), who in February announced that he would seek re-election, is expected to complete his registration today, along with former Taichung mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) and former KMT legislator Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒).
As a legislator, Chiang represents Taichung’s eighth electoral district, while Yen had represented the city’s second electoral district.
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