Ma Ying-jeou re-elected KMT chairman, solidifying his power base
Analysts warned Ma must regain trust and support from KMT members in the remainder of his presidential term if his party is to compete with the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party in the 2016 presidential poll.
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou was re-elected chairman of the ruling Kuomintang yesterday with a relatively high turnout helping solidify his power base during the remaining three years of his presidential term.
Analysts warned Ma must regain trust and support from KMT members in the remainder of his presidential term if his party is to compete with the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party in the 2016 presidential poll.
Ma's victory came as no surprise as he ran unopposed following the withdrawal of his only opponent earlier this month.
Out of 381,548 eligible KMT voters, Ma received 202,750 ballots, or 91.85 per cent of the votes cast, according to the KMT.
"The high turnout represents an overall support from party members to Chairman Ma," said Chiu Chuang-huan, head of the presidium of the KMT Central Advisory Committee. "This also shows that criticism of [Ma] for poor administrative capability is wrong," Chiu added.
Ma has seen his popularity falter in local opinion polls from a high of 70 per cent in 2008 when he was first elected president to a low of between 13 and 20 per cent in the past two years. The results reflect public disappointment in his administration, including its attempts to manage Taiwan's struggling economy.