Taiwan’s main opposition party the Kuomintang is gearing up for a pivotal leadership election in September – hoping a new party chair can steer it back to power after years on the political sidelines.
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But before it can look ahead to the 2028 Taiwan leadership race, the KMT faces an existential threat: a sweeping mass-recall campaign engineered by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that could gut its fragile legislative majority and plunge the party into deeper disarray.
Analysts warn that failure to contain the recall challenge could derail the KMT’s leadership transition before it even begins, leaving the Beijing-friendly party fractured and demoralised.
In an interview with the Taipei-based United Daily News on May 26, KMT chairman Eric Chu Li-luan signalled he was ready to step down after completing his term, hinting that Taichung mayor Lu Shiow-yen could be a promising successor.
“My position has always been consistent. Every time someone mentions mayor Lu Shiow-yen, I say, ‘She’s excellent – very welcome, sincerely welcome,’” Chu said. “What I hope for most is a smooth handover. I genuinely look forward to it.”
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Under Chu’s proposed timeline, the KMT will announce the party chair race in July, hold internal voting in September and install a new leader by October.