TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT Legislator Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪), who is aligned with Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), on Friday expressed support for postponing the party’s leadership contest.
In response to reports that Lu had informed KMT headquarters of her desire to delay the chair election, Huang said he was aware of the rumor and agreed to postpone the vote, per Tai Sounds. He noted that nearly all KMT legislators north of Yunlin County are facing recall campaigns, making the timing unsuitable for holding a leadership election.
Huang also referenced the recent controversy over allegedly forged recall petitions, which included signatures of deceased individuals. He said the party’s membership database may require a review to ensure the credibility of the voter list. He warned that moving forward without such verification could result in an illegitimate election.
When asked about her intentions regarding the election for chair, Lu told reporters she does not discuss party business or elections during work hours, per UDN.
According to the China Times, sources close to Lu said her aides advised her to delay announcing whether she will run for party chair to avoid giving the DPP political ammunition. The report added that Lu may also wish to avoid a direct clash with factions backing KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫).
The same report noted that some within the party were uneasy with Chu’s decision to hold the election in September, given the potential fallout from the recall votes and implications for the 2026 local elections. With Lu managing multiple political challenges in Taichung, including disputes over the city’s thermal power plant and local government subsidy cuts, she may have limited capacity to engage in a contested leadership race.
A former Taichung politician close to Lu told China Times that holding the leadership election alongside the recall efforts could backfire, possibly resulting in lost legislative seats or forcing a newly elected chair to resign. The source added that if Lu opts not to run, any challenger to Chu may struggle to gain momentum, even with Lu’s support.
Storm Media reported on June 10 that some within the KMT chair’s faction may be uneasy about his insistence on moving forward with the leadership race. Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁), identified as a Chu ally, was reportedly mobilizing support to postpone the election.
Concerns have also emerged over the potential impact of candidates such as KMT Central Committee member Sun Chien-ping (孫健萍) and Sun Yat-sen School Principal Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), both known for their strong pro-unification stances, positions that some party insiders fear could harm the KMT’s public image.
KMT Culture and Communication Committee Director Lin Kuan-yu (林寬裕) said on June 11 that no one had formally proposed postponing the election at that time, and the party is following Chu’s stated plan to step down, per Tai Sounds.
