TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's New Power Party (NPP) has selected Kao Yu-ting (高鈺婷) as its new chairman, replacing ex-legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), who was one of the accused in a massive bribery case late last month.
During a meeting held by the NPP decision-making committee on Saturday (Aug. 29), Kao was appointed as the party's new leader and is expected to hold the position until February. As the former NPP deputy secretary-general, she was able to garner the most support from the other 14 committee members who voted, reported UDN.
Kao said she is determined to reform the NPP and bring it back into the political conversation. In response to the recent wave of departures from party members, Kao expressed regret but said she is confident the party can improve and become a trustworthy organization once again, reported CNA.
Liberty Times said the 35-year-old Kao was an engineer at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Hsinchu County, after receiving her master's degree in electronic engineering from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. She is a mother of two and only became an active participant in Taiwan's politics after the 2014 Sunflower Student Movement.
Kao was recruited by former NPP Chairman Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) in 2015 and gained a surprise result in the 2020 Legislative Elections. She has also been hailed by the Taiwanese internet community as one of the country's top 10 most beautiful legislature candidates.
