`Reformer' Ma starts unloading stolen property

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday confirmed that the party had signed a contract to sell the building housing the Institute on Policy Research and Development for NT$4.3 billion (US$133 million), despite zoning restrictions and claims that the property was stolen.

Ma said the party yesterday sealed the deal with Yuan Lih Construction Corp. The land on which the building stands is zoned for government use, but the sale is going ahead on the assumption that Ma's city government will approve rezoning.

The sale of the institute building, located in the Muzha (木柵) area of Taipei City, is part of the KMT's reform plan to sell off its stolen assets by 2008.

The money from the sale of the Muzha building would be used to take care of retirees and party employees laid off as part of restructuring to make the KMT more efficient, Ma said.

When asked if the price was too low, Ma said, "the price is reasonable," and declined to comment further.

BIDDING

KMT Deputy Secretary-General Chang Che-shen (張哲琛) later told reporters that the deal was made on Tuesday, and that the final price had been decided on after five bidding processes had been completed.

"We decided to sign the contract with Yuan Lih because they offered the highest price that would help address part of our financial concerns," he said at a press conference yesterday.

Chang said that the KMT was not obliged to await a zoning reclassification of the land occupied by the institute building before selling the asset, and that changes to the classification were the responsibility of the Taipei City Government as well as the Construction and Planning Agency under the Ministry of the Interior.

It is understood that the institute building was sold for NT$360,000 (US$11,150) per ping (one ping equals 3.3m2).

Real estate in the area belonging to the National Property Bureau, however, is valued at NT$560,000 per ping.

The Cabinet yesterday criticized Ma and said that the sale would displease the public.

"The public is expecting justice and fairness on this issue -- that the KMT should return assets illegally taken from the public during the White Terror era. However, what Ma has done isn't fixing the problem," Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said.

Cho said Ma had promised that he would settle the assets issue before 2008 and return stolen assets to the public.

Cho said that Ma and KMT lawmakers should institute a law on party assets so that "everyone has rules to follow."

`ATTEMPT TO PROFIT'

DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) criticized the sale as a scheme exposing "Mayor Ma's" attempt to profit as "KMT Chairman Ma."

Lee asked why it was that Taipei City's Urban Planning Commission would be changing the zoning status of the Muzha block from "administrative" to "residential" and why it was that this was said to be a "necessary procedure."

Lee said that Ma's government had allowed the KMT to sell off the land without any legal obstruction in light of the expected rezoning.

Despite their minority status, pan-green lawmakers yesterday threatened to present a bill to the legislature that would "force" the KMT to return the assets it stole to the state.

"We do not rule out resubmitting a bill governing the disposition of inappropriately acquired party assets at an appropriate time during the upcoming legislative session," DPP caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) said.