Johnny Chiang sweeps KMT vote

CHANGE PROMISED: Hau Lung-bin did not wait for the final count before acknowledging defeat, while Chiang celebrated the handover to the next-generation KMT

By Shih Hsiao-kuang, Chen Yun and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer





Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) won the party’s chairperson by-election yesterday with nearly 69 percent of the vote over former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌).

Voting favored Chiang in all 22 counties and cities, KMT statistics showed.

In Taipei, where Hau served as mayor from 2006 to 2014, Chiang garnered nearly 60 percent of the votes, gaining about 2,600 more than Hau.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang, center, smiles at the legislature in Taipei yesterday after winning the party’s chairperson by-election. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

Votes from party members overseas were expected to favor Hau, but the party’s data showed that most went to Chiang.

The by-election had a low turnout of only 35.85 percent, or 124,019 people out of 345,971 who were eligible to vote.

Chiang received 84,860 votes, or 68.8 percent of the valid ballots, while Hau received 38,483. There were 676 invalid votes.

Hau issued a statement at about 6pm — before vote-counting had been completed — acknowledging defeat and congratulating Chiang on winning the election.

Hau thanked the members who voted and the volunteers who helped with the election process.

Chiang has a significant burden to bear over the next year and we hope he lives up to his promise of change, Hau said.

Hau said he has always believed, and still does, that if the KMT is strong, it can help make Taiwan a better place.

Chiang thanked supporters for voting for him and said their choice ensured that the KMT’s handover from the previous generation to the next would be successful.

Chiang said that he would institute organizational changes in the KMT and place less emphasis on party headquarters and more on local party chapters.

This would enable the party to be more connected to local residents, he said.

He promised to upgrade, improve and digitize party affairs, saying that this would be just the beginning of sweeping changes.

“The KMT from now on will be a party that is more modern and swift to respond to demands,” Chiang said.

Chiang said that he had spoken with Hau on the telephone and hopes to work with him to introduce reforms that would improve the KMT.

The by-election was to fill the vacancy left by Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), who stepped down last month after the party’s losses in the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections.

The KMT plans to hold an inauguration ceremony for Chiang tomorrow morning.