BEIJING, April 28 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), is hoping to build on its strongest showing ever in last year’s mayoral election to secure a greater presence in the Beijing City Council in this weekend’s vote, despite being handicapped by a lack of name recognition on the mainland and the Chinese government’s hostility to the party.
The KMT, which was founded in 1912 by Sun Yat-sen, the father of modern China, has a long and complex history with the mainland. It ruled China from 1928 to 1949, when it was defeated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Chinese Civil War and retreated to Taiwan. The CCP has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and tensions between the two sides have risen in recent years as China has become more assertive in the region.
Despite the political divide, the KMT has been gradually increasing its presence on the mainland in recent years, opening offices in major cities and participating in business and cultural exchanges. In last year’s mayoral election in Beijing, the KMT’s candidate, Hau Lung-bin, came in third place with 24.5% of the vote, the best showing ever for the party in a major mainland election.
The KMT is hoping to build on that momentum in this weekend’s City Council election, in which 351 seats are up for grabs. The party has fielded 55 candidates, including 20 women, and is targeting 15-20 seats.
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