Taipei City Councilor Xu Hongting attended the primary election coordination meeting and expressed his hope that the primary election will be conducted by means of public polls.

(Photo by reporter Cai Yahua)

[Reporter Cai Yahua/Taipei Report] The Kuomintang’s Taipei City Legislative Committee primary election was fierce. The Taipei City Party Headquarters coordinated the 7th (Songshan Xinyi) and 8th (Zhongzheng Wenshan) constituencies this afternoon. After more than 2 hours, the 8th constituency was negotiated. Xu Hongting, the current legislator Lai Shibao, is dissatisfied that he has already registered for the primary election, and the organization will send a text message to inform the party members to pay the fee, which will obviously affect the fairness of the election. "I will consider whether to participate in the election or not."

The Taipei City Party Headquarters of the Kuomintang held a coordination meeting at 3 p.m. Xu Hongting attended in person, and Lai Shibao was represented by his wife. Xu Qiaoxin, a member of the North City Councilor Xu Qiaoxin in the 7th constituency, and Fei Hongtai, a current legislator, attended the meeting respectively.

After more than 2 hours, Mrs. Lai Shibao left the party headquarters first. When asked about the results of the negotiation, she said, "There is no result, and another meeting will be held." Xu Hongting also appeared, and the party headquarters continued to coordinate the 7th constituency.

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Xu Hongting said that the crux of the coordination for so long is that party members vote or public polls are adopted. According to the main points of the Kuomintang’s legislative committee election operations, when more than 1/2 (including 1/2) of the registered persons in the constituency are registered, party members are not allowed to vote. Conduct a national poll, but if there is no consensus between the two parties, it can be handed over to the Taipei City Party Committee to decide whether to use party members to vote or poll. The Party Central Committee should have an explanation, and the laws clearly conflict.

Xu Hongting mentioned that on March 21, the organizing committee issued a text message to notify the party's group leaders, telling party members to pay party dues before the end of March and still have party rights, but they have registered for primary elections. The number of party members increases or decreases every day due to party dues. It will affect the fairness of the election, and the most uncontroversial and fairest poll is to take the poll.

Xu Hongting emphasized that the atmosphere of the coordination process is not bad, but it is stuck in the voting of party members. According to the current regulations, if there are party members voting, all polls must be completed before party members vote, which squeezes the implementation space of polls in disguise. From April 16th to 18th, the entire schedule was blocked by party members voting. If no party members voted, the polls could be executed before April 26th, so everyone debated for a little longer.

Xu Hongting bluntly said that the 8th constituency is a competitive constituency but it is placed in the first stage. The contested constituencies are placed in the first stage, which squeezes the space for challengers to a certain extent, and the system should be more fair.

Xu Hongting stressed that he could not accept that during the voting process of party members, the number of party members will increase, and the number of party members who can vote will increase all the way. March 31, this is already a grassroots mobilization and statement. This is not a fair choice. "If a party member voting resolution is finally made, I will consider whether to participate in the election."

Beishi Councilor Xu Hongting was dissatisfied and had already registered for the primary election. The organization sent a text message to inform party members to pay fees, which affected the fairness of the election.

(Provided by Xu Hongting)