Kuomintang chairmanship election, 2005

The Chinese Kuomintang chairmanship election of 2005 (2005年中國國民黨主席選舉) was held on July 16, 2005 in the Republic of China (Taiwan) between Ma Ying-jeou and Wang Jin-pyng. The election was triggered by the retirement of chairman Lien Chan.

This was the first direct election of the chairman in the Kuomintang's 93-year history. All registered, due-paying KMT party members were eligible to vote. Previous leaders of the KMT had been elected by the party congress in a one-man race (with the candidate being either the incumbent or his designated successor). In contrast, Lien did not name a successor, but rather supported a direct election between the two candidates.

The election was widely seen as a preliminary contest for the party's nomination in the 2008 presidential election. Ma's landslide victory over Wang originally made him the frontrunner in the bid for the KMT presidential nomination. An indictment over corruption in 2007 damaged Ma's election hopes, but he eventually ended up winning the 2008 presidential election.

The following KMT chairmanship election occurred in 2007.

The Candidates

The election was less about specific issues and more about personality. Both candidates supported a conciliatory approach toward relations with the People's Republic of China and supported the party's opposition to Taiwan independence and support of the 1992 consensus. They both promised to reform the party to make it more democratic and crack down on black gold. Ma's...
Read More