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Updated Sunday, December 6, 2009 11:27 am TWN, The China Post news staff

Results were unsatisfactory: Ma

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) vowed to continue pushing for reforms and said the ruling party will humbly conduct a thorough review of administrative policies in the wake of the local elections which reduced the party's control of county and city governments by two to 12.

Speaking at a press conference in the evening, Ma declined to characterize the outcome of the latest elections as a defeat for the party.

Ma said the election results were not satisfactory but they served as an alarm for his administration to modify the policies in view of the reduced number of overall ballots won by all KMT candidates.

There were no big surprises for the KMT in the “three-in-one” local elections.

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) recaptured Yilan County, four years after it lost it to the KMT following a 24-year grip.

The KMT also failed to defeat independent candidate Su Kun-chi, who broke away from the KMT after failing to win party endorsement.

But the party retook the frontline Kinmen County after its candidate, Li Wo-shih, narrowly defeated two independent contestants.

Ma attributed the election results to major factors like the performance of incumbent administrators seeking reelection and the quality of the new candidates, the general environment, and the campaign assistance from the party.

He expressed his appreciation for the support for KMT candidates in spite of the general economic slowdown and high unemployment rate in Taiwan.

Ma said the government will use the budding economic recovery to improve the people's daily lives.

He discounted the interpretation that the losses in Hualien and Yilan counties are personal defeats because there are complicated factors that influence election results. Ma made more campaign trips to the two counties than other regions to help rally support for the KMT candidates.

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December 7, 2009 johnny.brian@

Members breaking away from political party is an Achilles hill for KMT. DPP always wins election through unconfirmed truth that fools a lot of voters, which gain nothing afterward.

December 9, 2009 ludahai_twn@

The results would have been even worse for the KMT had they not subverted democracy and unilaterally extended the terms of six mayors/magistrates to next year. They definitely would have lost four, likely lost a fifth with only Taichung City a 50/50 toss-up.



	President Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) says he and his party will continue to push for reforms and review of administrative policies in the wake of the local elections. Declining to perceive the election results as a major defeat, Ma characterized them as disappointing and unsatisfactory yesterday. (CNA) Enlarge Photo


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