TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A remarkable surge in interest has hit the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) as new membership applications flooded in, temporarily overwhelming the online system, according to a party official. This influx follows the dramatic resignation of Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) as party chairman on Wednesday (Jan. 1). In the wake of this leadership change, Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), the party's legislative caucus leader, has been nominated as the acting chairman.
The TPP is clearly at a pivotal moment, capturing the attention of a growing number of supporters eager to join the movement. Speaking to the media on Thursday, TPP Secretary-General Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修) noted that the party's website briefly stalled due to the influx of applications, around 3,000 applications, and expressed gratitude to supporters. Huang also expressed gratitude, saying many applied to join the party after Ko's video message, and thanked everyone for joining the party's family.
Chou denied any link between the membership surge and the upcoming party chairman election, as party rules require a four-month membership before voting eligibility. Regarding the election schedule, Chou mentioned the need for the Central Committee's approval of the election committee list, considering the Lunar New Year, and aims to complete it around February.
