The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said details of alleged illegal party assets that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) promised to release are only the “tip of the iceberg,” accusing the KMT of insincerity over its holdings.
KMT spokesperson Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) said on Tuesday that the party would finish detailing its party assets by the end of the month.
However, DPP spokesperson Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said the KMT is trying to deceive the public.
“According to an Executive Yuan report, the KMT’s party assets include 834 plots worth more than NT$31.1 billion [US$992 million] according to land evaluations made in 2006,” Huang said. “In addition, it also possesses more than 152 buildings across the country.”
“The KMT is only willing to take care of 229 properties, which is less than a quarter of what it has,” Huang said. “If this is not an insincere move, what is?”
Huang said the KMT also earns income from the rent or sale of properties.
“What [KMT Chairman] Eric Chu (朱立倫) plans to take care of is only the tip of the iceberg of the KMT’s party assets,” Huang said.
Huang also accused Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) of breaking a promise made in March to publicize a list of the KMT’s assets.
Huang urged the government and the KMT to stop dodging the assets issue.
“I’m sure that people would look forward to electing a legislature with candidates from the progressive camp, so that legislation on illegal party assets could be adopted and the assets could be returned to the people,” Huang said.
The issue involves mostly properties belonging to the former Japanese colonial government in Taiwan, which were supposed to be taken over by the Republic of China government. However, many of the properties fell into KMT hands instead.
In other news, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) urged President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to focus more on what he is doing now after the president said during a meeting with former US vice president Dan Quayle on Tuesday that the development of cross-strait relations would become unpredictable if the next government does not continue with established policies.
“I have stated my cross-strait policies clearly: While keeping Taiwan democratic and free, and keeping its constitutional order, we would strive to maintain stable and peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait,” Tsai said. “I’ve said this several times already and it is supported by most Taiwanese.”
“I would urge the president to focus on running the government, especially since he is yet to fulfill his political promises,” Tsai said. “He should work hard instead of making comments on a government that is yet to be elected.”
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