Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday insinuated that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had rushed to sell the building housing the Institute on Policy Research and Development (IPRD) at a reduced price.
"The seller is eager to sell in order to have some cash come in for immediate use," Wang said. "Under such circumstances, the price of the object being sold is bound to be affected."
Higher price
Wang said former KMT chairman Lien Chan (
"Failing to sell the property does not mean Mr. Lien was unwilling to sell it," Wang said. "He just wanted to leave the matter to his successor, and the property may well have gained value over time."
The deal
Ma approved the deal and confirmed on Thursday that the KMT had signed a contract to sell the building to Yuan Lih Construction Corp for NT$4.3 billion (US$133 million), despite zoning restrictions and claims that the property was stolen from the state.
The sale of the building, located in the Muzha (
Reform
The sale is part of the KMT's reform plan to sell off its stolen assets by 2008.
According to Ma, the money from the sale will be used to take care of retirees and party employees laid off as part of restructuring that aims to make the KMT more efficient.
Ma has dismissed speculation that the price is too low, saying it seems reasonable to him.
Party Asset
Wang yesterday said that the building is a party asset rather than state property, and that the KMT would have to shoulder certain risks if it wanted to sell it for a better price.
Responding to the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) allegation that the money collected from the sale would be used to buy votes for the year-end elections, Wang became angry and called on the DPP to exercise self-restraint.
"The DPP cannot make such groundless accusations simply because it is better off than us," he said.
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