KMT Taipei Zhongzheng-Wanhua Councilor Primary Adopts Polling Plus Party Member Vote

(CNA Reporter Liu Chien-pang, Taipei, 16th) The Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Committee announced the polling methods for the city councilor primaries in the Zhongzheng-Wanhua and Zhongshan-Datong districts. The Zhongzheng-Wanhua district will adopt 70% public polling and 30% party member voting, sparking disagreements among three newcomer candidates. Candidate Guo Yin-lan stated that full public polling is closer to the results of the general election.

According to a press release from the KMT Taipei City Committee, the second phase registration coordination meeting for councilor primary nominations was held today. The Datong-Zhongshan district (4th electoral district) primary will use 100% public polling; the Zhongzheng-Wanhua district (5th electoral district) primary will use 70% polling and 30% party member voting.

As for the Daan-Wenshan district (6th electoral district), because the original candidate Li Yi-ju transferred to the Zhongshan-Datong district, there are no newcomers in this district, so an internal party primary is not needed.

The KMT Taipei City Committee is nominating 4 seats in the Zhongzheng-Wanhua district. Three incumbent councilors have already registered. Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei, involved in the Core Pacific City case, did not register, leaving one vacancy. Candidates Guo Yin-lan, Chang Yen-ting, and Chou Shih-hsiung will compete for this seat.

Regarding the city committee's announcement that the Zhongzheng-Wanhua primary will adopt 70% polling and 30% party member voting, Guo Yin-lan said in a joint interview that she regrets this method. She believes the priority should be winning the general election, and full public polling is the closest to the general election results.

Guo Yin-lan posted on Facebook that she has always advocated for full public polling as the standard to help the KMT win the general election at the end of this year and secure a crucial seat in the council. Unfortunately, the other two candidates insist on 70% polling and 30% party member voting, creating a gap with the KMT's original intention to embrace reform with the masses.

Chou Shih-hsiung said through a media group that he agrees with the primary polling method. Since it is an internal party councilor primary, party members' participation in voting is basic respect for them and fully demonstrates the internal party democratic mechanism.

Chang Yen-ting stated in a media phone interview that full public polling is easily interfered with and, if not excluding non-KMT supporters, might be subjected to reverse manipulation. Polling is merely a reference and there should be equivalent polling references. He supports the adoption of 70% polling and 30% party member voting.

He said that since it is an internal KMT primary, the party members should be respected and given a sense of participation; otherwise, members will become politically apathetic. Adopting 70% polling and 30% party member voting will give members a sense of mission.

According to information provided by the KMT Taipei City Committee, the councilor primary polling for Datong-Zhongshan district is from May 7 to 9; Zhongzheng-Wanhua district primary polling is from the 10th to the 12th; party member voting is on the 16th. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150416

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