Ma seeks to mend fences among KMT's top brass

Seeking to mend relations with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman-elect, Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), yesterday sought to convince Wang to stay on as the party's head vice chairman with little success, while the party approved a proposal to make Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) an honorary chairman when his term ends next month.

The party's top up and coming politicians met yesterday for the first time yesterday since the party's chairmanship election Saturday in which, after a bitterly fought campaign, KMT party members overwhelmingly chose Ma over Wang.

Reiterating his campaign pledge to "co-administer" the KMT with Wang should he win the election, Ma yesterday asked Wang in person to be his leading right-hand man after he becomes chairman next month. In response to media questions about his inclinations however, Wang implied that he would refuse the position.

While Ma has sought Wang out repeatedly since the election in an effort to ask him to continue in his post as the party's first vice chairman.

Taking advantage of Wang's unexpected presence at the weekly meeting of the KMT's Central Standing Committee, its top policy body, yesterday, Ma arrived early at KMT's headquarters yesterday to keep watch over the party's driveway until Wang arrived. Upon Wang's arrival, Ma and Wang met for 45 minutes prior to the Central Standing Committee meeting.

Speaking after the Central Standing Committee meeting, Ma said that during their conversation he asked Wang to stay on in his post, adding that he was also asking all the party's other four vice chairmen to continue on in their current positions.

Wang seemed, however, disinclined to accept Ma's offer. "Don't consider me. I will always be a KMT volunteer," Wang told reporters after leaving mid-way through the meeting he chaired in Lien's absence yesterday.

Lien is currently in the US.

Besides trying to mollify Wang, Ma yesterday continued to work to consolidate his position as chairman-elect, announcing in the Central Standing Committee meeting that he plans to spend the weekend meeting with supporters to ask their thoughts on intra-party and pan-blue unity.

During yesterday's meeting, the party also passed a proposal to make Lien an honorary chairman. KMT Spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) confirmed that Lien had accepted the position.

What powers and responsibilities go with the position are as yet unknown.