KMT rallies for nine‑in‑one elections, Zheng urges unity for strong results

As Taiwan’s local public‑office elections move into the candidate registration phase, the contest has heated up and entered a highly competitive, intense stage. Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Zheng Liwen used today’s Central Standing Committee meeting to issue a call for unity and mobilisation across the party. She specifically urged all Central Standing Committee members to devote themselves fully to campaign assistance, emphasizing that as the race reaches its decisive sprint, the party must forge consensus and move in lockstep. If the current overall political momentum and public attention can be steadily maintained and expanded through to Election Day, the KMT is poised to deliver an impressive result in these local contests.

The registration of candidates for the nine‑in‑one local elections is traditionally seen as the opening move of the campaign. For the major parties, the registration date marks not only the conclusion of the nomination process but also the point at which resource integration, organisational mobilisation, and issue‑based attacks shift into full‑scale operations. In this context, Zheng Liwen’s public appeal is clearly strategic. By speaking from the chair’s platform, she aims to rally the various internal factions and regional blocs, preventing any post‑registration fractures and ensuring the party presents a cohesive front for the year‑end public‑opinion test.

As one of Taiwan’s principal parties, the KMT faces a dual task in these local elections: consolidating its existing governing counties and cities while launching a counter‑offensive against territories administered by the pan‑green camp. Over recent weeks, the party’s central leadership has been actively positioning mayoral and council candidates across the country, moving through coordination, polling, and recruitment stages to arrive at the collective candidate showcase and registration rally. Zheng Liwen recognises that local election outcomes depend not only on individual candidates’ qualifications and grassroots strength, but also on the party’s overall image, the linkage between central and local issues, and the ability of senior leaders to demonstrate sufficient cohesion—factors that heavily influence voter intent.

Accordingly, Zheng specifically named and appealed to Central Standing Committee members to throw themselves into campaign support. The Central Standing Committee, as the KMT’s highest decision‑making body, wields substantial party resources, local influence, and social networks. With the campaign now in its most intense phase, the key challenge is how to channel that influence effectively down to each grassroots constituency, assisting county and city candidates in canvassing, integrating local forces, and allocating electoral resources. Zheng’s public call therefore functions as a mobilisation order to senior party figures and core officials, demanding that personal considerations be set aside in favour of full participation in the campaign machinery.

Historically, Taiwan’s nine‑in‑one local elections have served as a mid‑term assessment of the central government’s performance. Voters evaluate not only the satisfaction and service quality of local leaders and councilors, but also the central administration’s policies on the economy, cross‑strait relations, and social welfare. How the KMT blends local issues with central oversight, and how quickly it amplifies its campaign presence after candidate registration, will be decisive variables in shaping the electoral landscape. Zheng’s emphasis on extending the current momentum through Election Day reflects a cautiously optimistic yet vigilant strategic outlook.

As registration proceeds, each party’s campaign teams are finalising their positioning, and the upcoming campaign rhythm will inevitably become tighter and more unpredictable. From policy debates and platform presentations to voter‑turnout solidification, every stage tests a party’s mobilisation capacity and crisis‑response mechanisms. Zheng Liwen’s remarks on registration day serve both as a confidence‑boosting message to party comrades and a public demonstration of the KMT’s resolve to unite for victory. Whether this momentum can be converted into actual votes will ultimately be judged by grassroots voters, and the party’s concrete actions in the weeks ahead will determine if it can indeed produce the “beautiful report card” it envisions.

(Source: Central News Agency)