Mayor of New Taipei City Eric Chu is set to become the next chairman of Taiwan’s ruling party, the Kuomintang (KMT).
KMT members cast their ballots to elect their new leader Saturday. The election was called after President Ma Ying-jeou resigned as party chairman to take responsibility for the KMT’s massive defeat in local elections last November. Chu is certain to become the party’s next leader as his candidacy is not contested.
Chu described the KMT as facing “the most difficult times”. He also said the party will stand by the people and look at what it has done wrong in the past.
Chu will announce any shakeup of the party leadership after he is sworn in on Monday.
Chu is the only KMT politician who won the election in one of Taiwan’s six largest municipalities. He has been favored to run in the presidential election in 2016, but he said in December that he will not run for president.