Amid Reports Speaker Chang Sheng-te and Others Didn't Register for Nomination, Yilan KMT to Discuss Recruitment Option
Confusion has arisen within the KMT in Yilan County, Taiwan, over nominations for the next local elections. Speaker Chang Sheng-te and others did not register for nomination, causing ripples within the party. The party leadership will now review qualifications and consider the 'recruitment' (direct nomination) option for the unregistered incumbents.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 12, 2026 at 22:08
- 🔍 Collected: April 12, 2026 at 23:00 (52 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 13, 2026 at 10:09 (11h 9m after Collected)
The KMT's Yilan County chapter's nomination registration process ended on the 10th, and while the results were not announced, media reported that Speaker Chang Sheng-te, Chen Mei-ling, Tsai Wen-yi, and county councilor Huang Wen-ju, who is actively preparing for the Yuanshan Township mayor race, did not register, drawing local attention.
Reporters were unable to reach Chang Sheng-te and Tsai Wen-yi for comment by the time of publication. Huang Wen-ju told CNA by phone that the Yuanshan Township mayor election is a tough race for the KMT, and she is currently focused on grassroots efforts. As for whether a recruitment method will be used, she said the party chapter would hold another meeting to discuss it.
Chen Mei-ling's aide said she has no comment for now and will let the party handle it uniformly. Regarding former DPP spokesperson Han Ying returning to her hometown to run for Yilan mayor, Chen once said that Han is a respectable candidate with rich experience in both the media industry and the DPP central party; she cannot choose her opponent, only choose to do her municipal work well to earn the recognition and affirmation of the citizens.
It is rumored that according to past practice, the party has always prioritized recruiting incumbents. However, before the registration, the party did not explicitly state whether this method would be adopted. Some incumbents later received a nomination registration announcement letter, feeling disrespected.
A knowledgeable source pointed out that the party headquarters sent out 600 announcement letters to cadres at the small group leader level and above, not targeting any single or specific person. The party had already passed the schedule for form collection, registration, qualification review, and coordination in a meeting. The main agenda for tomorrow's meeting is to review the qualifications of the candidates who have already registered. As for Chang Sheng-te and others not registering, the nomination team will also hold subsequent meetings to discuss the issue, with recruitment being one of the options. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150412
Reporters were unable to reach Chang Sheng-te and Tsai Wen-yi for comment by the time of publication. Huang Wen-ju told CNA by phone that the Yuanshan Township mayor election is a tough race for the KMT, and she is currently focused on grassroots efforts. As for whether a recruitment method will be used, she said the party chapter would hold another meeting to discuss it.
Chen Mei-ling's aide said she has no comment for now and will let the party handle it uniformly. Regarding former DPP spokesperson Han Ying returning to her hometown to run for Yilan mayor, Chen once said that Han is a respectable candidate with rich experience in both the media industry and the DPP central party; she cannot choose her opponent, only choose to do her municipal work well to earn the recognition and affirmation of the citizens.
It is rumored that according to past practice, the party has always prioritized recruiting incumbents. However, before the registration, the party did not explicitly state whether this method would be adopted. Some incumbents later received a nomination registration announcement letter, feeling disrespected.
A knowledgeable source pointed out that the party headquarters sent out 600 announcement letters to cadres at the small group leader level and above, not targeting any single or specific person. The party had already passed the schedule for form collection, registration, qualification review, and coordination in a meeting. The main agenda for tomorrow's meeting is to review the qualifications of the candidates who have already registered. As for Chang Sheng-te and others not registering, the nomination team will also hold subsequent meetings to discuss the issue, with recruitment being one of the options. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150412