There have been calls for new blood and reforms from within the Kuomintang following its defeat in the 2020 elections. The party's cross-strait policy has also come under scrutiny. Youth factions have called for self-reviews or debates to reach a consensus on the direction of reforms. The party is also set to elect a new chairperson.
The Kuomintang recently posted the announcement that it is holding a chairperson by-election. The KMT aims to recover from its defeat in the 2020 elections, and is starting by electing a new party chief. The vote will be held on Mar. 7, along with the election of Central Standing Committee members. Acting Secretary-General William Tseng says the party cannot be pessimistic, and elections and reforms can occur simultaneously.
The Kuomintang has no time to waste, and we will announce related strategies or methods shortly, including the so-called forum for discussion or whether to establish a committee to oversee reform strategies. We are actively assessing all possibilities, and we hope to act as quickly as possible.
Youth factions are urging the party to reform, and the majority feel that it is imperative to revise the KMT's cross-strait approach. KMT Youth League head Tien Fang-luen is organizing a youth forum to achieve a consensus, while also organizing a debate to determine a new cross-strait discourse that can be accepted by both youths and the public. The Youth Department is also taking action.
We hope to conduct closed-door discussions together to sum up the reform directions and issues that exist within the party, with the aim of drafting an innovative white paper for the young generations. It will include what reforms the party needs to take. We will also collect and organize all the information to produce concrete proposals and deliver them to the new party chairperson to implement.
KMT Youth League Director Hsiao Ching-yan added that the most important task at hand is for youth factions to set aside the preconceptions they have of each other, and unite in order to carry out bottom to top reforms and ensure that reforms won't just be all talk. With regards to whether there is room to revise the 1992 Consensus, KMT Taipei City Councilor Dai Hsi-chin and three others called on former President Ma Ying-jeou on Jan. 16 to seek his guidance. Ma proposed four preconditions for adjusting the 1992 Consensus, including adherence to the Republic of China constitution and public support.