Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) yesterday said all KMT assets had been acquired legally, but added that the party must divest itself of them “within a short period of time.”
Speaking at the party’s Central Evaluation Committee meeting, Wu said that no KMT assets had been obtained illegally because if the KMT had any illegal assets, the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration would have confiscated them.
“However, our party assets are very limited,” he said.
All of the party’s assets are under the management of the Central Investment Co, in which the KMT is a shareholder, he said. If the company does not make money, the party does not benefit, he said.
Wu said that this year the party had spent only one-third of what it used to spend on the legislative elections and one-fifth on the presidential poll.
“How much money we spend is not important,” he said. “What is more important is whether we are united and determined.”
While the party had a net value of NT$20 billion (US$625 million) last year, Wu said that figure had dwindled to NT$10 billion. If the party rid itself of all its assets, Wu said, the money would go to party employee pensions, severance payments and utility bills. If there were any money left, it would be donated to civic agencies and disadvantaged groups, he said.
While the party used to have more than 4,700 full-time employees, Wu said the number had been cut to 900.
Acknowledging criticism of the government from both the public and the party, Wu said winning the legislative and presidential elections had caused him more anxiety than relief in light of the global financial crisis and natural disasters that have struck Taiwan since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office in May.
“Since we elect the best candidate to lead the country, the party has no choice but to give him full backing,” Wu said.
“We don’t have a second choice. We must also support the government so it will perform impressively,” he said.
Regarding the relationship between the party and the government, he said that it had improved.
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