TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Newly elected New Power Party (NPP) Chairman Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智), top officials, and two spokespersons took office on Friday, March 1, while outgoing Chairman and Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said he believes the new team can help the party win more seats in the 2020 legislative election.

The young party, founded in early 2015 by civil activists involved in the 2014 Sunflower Movement, won five legislative seats in the 2016 election, three from constituencies and two from proportional representation, to become the third largest party, trailing behind the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Kuomintang (KMT).

The party continued to win 16 seats at local councils across the country in 2018's local elections.

Huang had been holding the post of chairman since 2015 and surprisingly announced to quit on Jan. 21. Human rights lawyer Chiu was elected as its new leader on Feb. 15.

Huang said at the party's handover ceremony that Chiu is a passionate lawyer who is dedicated to defending the disadvantaged as a lawyer, and fighting for equality and justice as an activist. Huang said he is pleased to see Chiu take the job and believes that the party can win more seats in the party's second legislative election battle under his leadership.

In his inaugural speech, Chiu thanked Huang for his achievements during his tenure and his relentless anti-corruption commitment, saying the party will continue to promote equality, including social equity, gender equality, human rights, and social housing justice.

Other NPP top officials taking office Friday included Secretary-General Chen Meng-shiu (陳孟秀), Vice Secretary-General Lu Po-chun (魯柏君), and spokespersons Chen Chih-ming (陳志明) and Chien Chia-yo (簡嘉佑), with half of them locally or internationally trained lawyers.