Center-local disconnect hurts KMT campaign

Wei Ping-cheng (魏平政), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate for Changhua County commissioner in November’s local elections, on Sept. 6 officially opened his campaign headquarters with a major rally. KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) attended the event, demonstrating the firm support of party leadership and neighboring KMT-governed local governments.

However, conspicuously absent was Changhua County Commissioner Wang Hui-mei (王惠美), who sent flowers in her place.

Meanwhile, the position of campaign headquarters director-general remains vacant.

Behind the fanfare, the rally highlighted deeper challenges facing the KMT in managing the handover of power in the county and its candidate-nomination process.

There is an institutional and communication disconnect that leads to anxiety over policy continuity. Judging from Wang’s public expression of frustration and news of political trouble in the region, the impasse seems to reflect a structural contradiction common in Taiwan’s party politics. They arise when a party’s central electoral machinery and a local administration differ over the timing of nominations or their preferred candidates. A lack of careful and thorough communication easily results in resentment.

For an incumbent local leader, their record in office and the continuity of local development projects are their greatest political assets. For the party leadership, the priority is to consider the overall strategic picture. When the two sides differ, a situation can emerge in which the party leadership is eager to push ahead, while the local government prefers to hang back.

Wang’s absence and the flowers she sent might have been a political statement by a local leader confronted with an unfavorable successor.

Another issue in the handover process is focus on replicating victories and the need for reforms that go beyond sloganeering.

At the rally, senior KMT figures harked back to the party’s comeback victory in the county eight years ago, seeking to replicate a winning formula.

However, victory in elections depends on adapting to changing circumstances.

Focusing on successes can boost morale, but it does not automatically secure votes. As a key electoral battleground, Changhua County has a complex voter base and deeply entrenched local factions. Motivational rhetoric or appeals to the broader political picture are unlikely to bridge divisions at the grassroots level. The real task is to bring together views from competing camps, factions and supporters around the greatest common denominator.

A third challenge is to resolve differences.

Wei has demonstrated flexibility and a willingness to seek broad support, which is the right approach to breaking a deadlock.

However, rebuilding political trust requires time and sincerity.

If the KMT’s leadership and its Changhua County campaign team fail to substantively address the concerns of the local administration and establish channels for dialogue, the plan to “unite to win” could face serious obstacles.

Bringing local political forces back into the fold and paving the way for a smooth handover of governance will be the deciding factors in whether the KMT can retain its hold on power in Changhua County.

Wei Chi-hung is president of the Taiwan International Cultural and Educational Public Interest Association.