03.26.2001
KMT holds first ever direct election for party chairman

• The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) held its first ever popular election for party chairman on Saturday. Former Vice President and incumbent party chairman, Lien Chan, was named to head the party in its16th National Congress.

• Lien Chan, the sole candidate in the election, earned 97.1% of the vote on a turnout of 57.9%. The direct election of party chairman is one of the reform measures undertaken by the KMT following their presidential election defeat last May.

• The popularity of the KMT, which currently holds 113 of the 219 seats in the legislature, is on the wane and has embarked on a series of internal reforms in an attempt to win support for the year-end Legislative Yuan elections. It is predicted the KMT will lose its majority in the legislature to the People First Party.

• Non-KMT seats in the Legislative Yuan are shared out as follows: the ruling Democratic Progressive Party 66; People First Party 17; New Party 8; and independent 15.

IrmakSurenkok@Primasia.com +886-[0]2-2547-8873