The ruling Kuomintang (KMT) looks set to hold a by-election for members of its Central Standing Committee (CSC) following a mass resignation of members of the party's policy-making body, KMT spokesman Lee Chien-jung said Saturday. As of that day, 25 of the 32 elected CSC members had decided to step down over criticism that the Sept. 11 CSC election was marred by rampant vote-buying. The party kicked two members out of the CSC Oct. 20 for their involvement in vote-buying during the election, but the move failed to stop mounting calls from party members for a new election of the CSC. Outspoken KMT Legislator Chiu Yi took the initial decision to give up his CSC membership during a political talk show Oct. 22 to express his displeasure over what he described as 'the evil precedent' in the CSC election in which many candidates were accused of having hosted banquets or distributed gifts in exchange for votes. Chiu was followed by several reform-minded committee members who asked for a new CSC election in a bid to 're-build the KMT's image as a clean and reform- orientated party.' President Ma Ying-jeou, who doubles as KMT chairman, said Friday that he would be pleased to see other CSC members follow suit in a bid to improve the CSC's integrity. After Ma's comments were spread by the party spokesman, more CSC members offered to relinquish their seats to signify their integrity and defend the party's reputation, making a new round of elections possible. With the resignations, the CSC would have difficulty meeting the minimum number of members required to convene a meeting as stipulated under the nation's s Civic Organization Law. Under the KMT charter, the CSC has 39 seats, 32 of which are elected by the party's Central Committee members and the remaining seven designated by the party chairman. According to Lee, two other CSC members had expressed their desire to step down, while 13 of the 14 eligible alternatives had also agreed to renounce their rights to fill the vacancies left by the resigning members, making it possible that almost all of CSC's non-designated members will have to be decided upon through the by-election. Lee said the KMT will convene an extraordinary CSC meeting Oct. 26 to decide how to go ahead with the by-election, 