TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) was sworn in as the chair of the Kuomintang on Saturday, succeeding Eric Chu (朱立倫) after the end of his four-year term.

At a party congress in Taipei, she called on the KMT to “turn the worst era into the best era,” per CNA. Cheng added that the K in the party name stood for “kind,” the M for “mindful,” and the T for “team.”

The KMT should not just be the country’s most important and largest political group, but also its most influential public welfare team, she said. The new opposition leader repeated an earlier call for the KMT to transform itself from a flock of sheep into a “pride of lions.” 

Since her election on Oct. 18, Cheng has come under fire for proposing closer links with China and for rejecting a description of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a dictator.

One prominent absentee from Saturday’s congress was Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), widely perceived as one of the frontrunners for the party’s presidential candidacy in 2028. Cheng said she could understand her absence because the mayor had been too busy with municipal issues, CNA reported. 

Lu is facing an outbreak of African swine fever at a farm in Taichung, leading to criticism that her administration’s handling of the case has been too slow.

Cheng’s main challenges during her four-year term will be winning municipal elections scheduled for Nov. 28, next year, and presidential and legislative elections expected in January 2028. The KMT has lost three consecutive presidential votes.