President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday returned to the helm of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), saying he would reform the 115-year-old party and pledging to push for peace with Beijing while safeguarding Taiwan’s national sovereignty and dignity.
“We will keep pushing for exchanges between the KMT and [China] to improve mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides,” Ma said.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sent a congratulatory message to Ma on being sworn in as chairman of the KMT and stressed its opposition to Taiwanese independence
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
“The CCP expects both sides to deepen mutual trust and enhance cross-strait exchanges and strive for the beautiful future for all Chinese by adhering to the 1992 consensus and opposing Taiwanese independence,” the CCP statement said.
Accepting the party flag from his predecessor, Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), at the handover ceremony at the KMT’s 18th national convention yesterday, Ma pledged to present a “final solution” to the KMT’s party asset problem by the end of this year.
“The KMT will deal with party assets as soon as possible, and we are in the last mile in handling the only remaining asset,” Ma said in his inauguration speech to more than 1,600 delegates gathered at Hsinjhuang Gymnasium.
Ma said the party would present the solution by the end of this year to liquidate the asset — the Central Investment Co (中央投資公司) — adding that the party would refrain from owning any businesses in the future.
The company is estimated to be worth more than NT$20 billion (US$620 million). Ma said about NT$15 billion of the proceeds from the sale would be used to pay for retirement pensions and to pay off debts, with the remainder to be donated to charity.
Ma had made the same promise in 2005 when he first served as party chairman, but failed in his attempt to get rid of all assets by last year.
Ma outlined six goals in his speech, from cleaning up the party’s asset to fighting election bribery, and said the party would help implement government policies.
He pledged to take action against members who violated party regulations by running in local government elections in December.
“We regret that some members violated party regulations to run in elections, and we must follow party regulations and punish them. How could we maintain party discipline otherwise?” he said.
The KMT is facing splits in Hualien, Hsinchu, Chiayi and Nantou as defiant KMT members ignored party regulations and joined the elections against party candidates.
Seeking to keep local factions from affecting the elections, Ma said the party would re-examine the role of local factions and prevent them from blocking local resources and ignoring the interested public.
Ma also gave his support to the party’s investigation into vote-buying and bribery allegations that emerged at the KMT central standing committee election last week.
Ma thanked Wu for agreeing to take over as party chairman after he stepped down in 2006 over his alleged misuse of his special allowance fund as former Taipei mayor, and praised Wu for leading the party to win legislative elections and the presidential election.
Wu and former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) were both invited to serve as honorary chairmen and to continue pushing for cross-strait exchanges via the KMT-CCP forum. The CCP also sent a congratulatory letter to Wu and Lien for being honorary chairmen.
In a tearful farewell address, Wu promised to give his full support to Ma and defended the role of the KMT-CCP forum in efforts to improve cross-strait relations while maintaining national dignity.
“The KMT-CCP forum proceeded with reciprocal negotiation, and Taiwan’s dignity was never diminished. We stand firm on the Taiwan-centric stance,” he said.
Six of the eight KMT vice chairpersons kept their posts, including Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤), KMT Secretary-General Chan Chun-po (詹春柏), KMT Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), KMT Legislator Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), sChiayi Mayor Huang Ming-hui (黃敏惠) and Lin Feng-cheng (林豐正).
Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Vice Premier Eric Chu (朱立倫) said they would not serve as vice chairmen, to avoid conflict.
Ma will begin campaigning tours around the nation to boost support for party nominees in the year-end elections.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
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