Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU)
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) is a new addition to Taiwan's party system. It registered with the Ministry of the Interior on July 31, 2001, and held its inaugural meeting twelve days later. With the endorsement of former President Lee Teng-hui, it attracts supporters from the KMT, the DPP, and other political groupings. Its aim is to "stabilize the political situation, promote the economy, consolidate democracy, and strengthen Taiwan."
In terms of internal structure, the TSU has a Party Congress serving as the highest authority of the party. The party chairman appoints 21 members and 3 alternate members to a Central Executive Committee every two years. In addition, the party chairman and the secretary-general are ex officio members of the Central Executive Committee. The party chairman is directly elected by party members for a two-year term.
The current party chairman is Huang Chu-wen. He appointed Lin Jih-jia as the secretary-general. The TSU originally only opened its membership to candidates who ran in national and local elections. Since October 2002, it has begun to recruit members from the general public. The TSU now claims a registered membership of more than 100.
