PRO-LOCALIZATION:Local heavweights are said to be planning to form a splinter group — the Taiwan KMT Alliance — due to dissatisfaction over Hung’s dismal ratings

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 29, 2015
By: Lin Liang-sheng and Peng Hsien-chun  /  Staff reporters

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) could face yet another crisis other than its dismal presidential campaign, as a group of pro-localization members are allegedly planning to form a splinter group to force KMT headquarters to respond directly to their calls for a change of candidate.

According to people familiar with the matter, the plan to establish a new party — which would be called the “Taiwan Chinese Nationalist Party Alliance” (台灣國民黨聯盟) — is spearheaded by several influential local members, including senior presidential adviser Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) and former Yunlin County commissioner Chang Jung-wei (張榮味).

Their primary goal is to compel the party’s leaders to take more proactive measures to address the KMT’s predicament in the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections, the sources said, hinting at the removal of Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) as the KMT’s presidential candidate.

If KMT headquarters fail to take action, they might inspire a bigger wave of defections than the one seen in previous months, they said.     [FULL  STORY]