TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kuomintang will hold elections for its Central Standing Committee on Saturday, with 45 candidates competing for 29 seats.

Under party rules, Central Standing Committee members are elected by about 1,900 party representatives, each of whom may vote for up to 15 candidates, per CNA. With 45 candidates registered, the estimated chance of election stands at about 64%.

Commenting on the surge in candidates, a KMT insider said that under former party chair Eric Chu (朱立倫), weaker committee influence led to lower participation, to the point that registration alone could effectively guarantee election. The insider said engagement has since rebounded under current leadership.

Concerns have also emerged within the party over the possibility of coordinated voting blocs, per UDN. One KMT source said that after excluding well-established candidates with effectively guaranteed seats, a group of about a dozen candidates could potentially marshal 400 to 500 votes, virtually ensuring their election.

The source said that in past elections, votes were tallied across districts, a system that reduced the likelihood of bloc voting and vote buying. After the party reverted to counting votes by municipality, however, the risk of such practices increased, the source said.

Although the KMT has pledged to strengthen oversight of the voting process, grassroots members remain worried that vote buying or coordinated voting could influence the outcome. The source added that party chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is unlikely to make procedural adjustments ahead of the vote, citing concerns about alienating internal factions.

Several incumbent committee members are seeking re-election, including Sun Chien-ping (孫健萍), Wu Shang-ying (吳尚鷹), Chu Chen-yao (朱珍瑤), Tsai I-chu (蔡宜助), Kao Ssu-po (高思博), Chang Yu-mei (張育美), Yang Po-jen (楊博仁), Wang Po-lun (王伯綸), Chiu Su-lan (邱素蘭), Chen Ching-ling (陳慶齡), Chen Wang-chuan (陳汪全), Tseng Wen-pei (曾文培), Chen Su-jang (陳俗蓉), Kaohsiung City Councilor Huang Shao-ting (黃紹庭), and New Taipei City Councilor Chiang Ken-huang (蔣根煌), per Liberty Times.

Several elected officials have also entered the race. At the local level, Taichung City Councilor Li Chung (李中) and Hualien County Councilor Wu Chien-chih (吳建志) registered as candidates. Legislators Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽), Chiu Chen-chun (邱鎮軍), Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才), Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐), and Huang Ren (黃仁) are also running.

Former Central Standing Committee members have likewise joined the contest, including former lawmaker Li Te-wei (李德維), former Penghu County deputy speaker Chen Shuang-chuan (陳雙全), and former committee member Yu Chia-fu (游家富). Li currently serves as a special adviser in Cheng’s office, strengthening representation for the chair’s faction.