A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) initiative to reinstate former members and attract new ones has shown positive results, drawing nearly 50,000 people to the party within four months, the KMT said on Saturday.
The KMT has in the past few years been experiencing a membership exodus in what some have characterized as “jumping ship.”
In an attempt to reverse the trend, the party on Nov. 1 last year launched the “Same Boat” project, aiming to “return 10,000 people to the family.”
Photo courtesy of KMT
Under the initiative, those whose membership had lapsed after not paying party dues could pay NT$300 to reinstate their membership, while those whose membership had been revoked could return by paying NT$600.
Originally scheduled to run until Nov. 24 last year, the initiative was extended to Feb. 17 due to the enthusiastic response, the party said in a statement.
The KMT said that members are drawn to the party because of shared ideals, not political interests.
As an example, it highlighted the story of Liu Yu-chen (劉裕珍), owner of the Fun Wow Hydroponics Farm in Changhua County’s Fangyuan Township (芳苑).
Liu responded to the “Same Boat” program when it began last year, paying dues of NT$10,000 to become a lifetime member.
Through her organic farm, Liu is advancing agriculture in Taiwan to help make it more refined, internationally recognized and competitive, the party said.
Liu serves as an example of the ways people across the nation are “in the same boat,” working hard to create a more beautiful future for Taiwan, it added.
The project has also drawn younger members to the party, it said.
One new member, 27-year-old Lin Tzu-ping (林子平), used to support pan-green camp parties, but after starting a business, came to realize that “the personal is political,” the KMT said.
Lin over the past few years has noticed the increasingly untrustworthy and rash actions of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), it said.
After what the KMT called last year’s “Medigen vaccine debacle” and referendums, Lin more deeply understood how the DPP has failed to live up to its promises to improve social ills, even going against public opinion, it said.
Lin therefore came to believe that “Taiwan should have a strong opposition party to serve as a check on the government,” it added.
High-school student Lee Chia-yu (李家宇) also joined the KMT after spending his childhood attending party activities with his father, who led the local KMT chapter in Chiayi County’s Puzih City (朴子).
The experiences showed Lee the achievements of the party, as well as the services offered to local residents, the KMT said, adding that Lee formally joined the party to give back to his country and hometown.
While many young people have joined the KMT for the first time through the “Same Boat” project, the party said they are not the only demographic who have taken advantage of the opportunity.
The nearly 50,000 new or returning members have come to the realization that the DPP is unable to offer Taiwanese a stable livelihood, with worsening inflation, stagnant wages and food safety concerns, among other issues, the KMT said.
They are fed up with a ruling party that has gone against its word and have taken action, giving the KMT the power to serve as a check on the government for the betterment of all, it added.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “[we] appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe
RSS