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Ma registers as the sole candidate in KMT poll

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday registered as the sole candidate for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairmanship election, vowing to dispose of dubious party assets and rely on fundraising to finance future campaigns.

Although the KMT's party assets have been put in trust, it needed to be dealt with in a speedy manner, he said.

“We won't be running any profit-making businesses in future, but we will protect the rights of current employees and retired staffers. Future campaign expenses will mainly come from fundraising,” Ma said, while registering at KMT headquarters.

To be eligible for registration, Ma needed the signatures of 3 percent of registered KMT members, or 15,000 people, to support his chairmanship campaign. Ma garnered more than 138,000 signatures. Registration opened on Wednesday and ended yesterday.

When he was contesting the KMT chairmanship election four years ago, Ma proposed to “return party assets to zero.” Although Ma was later elected, he did not make good on his promise, a number of political observers said.

Ma yesterday said that when he was running for KMT chairman four years ago, he pledged reform, called for unity, vowed to make the party stronger and swore to return the party to power.

The KMT had regained power, but it had not completed reforming itself, he said.

Ma said he decided to run for party chairman again not because he wanted to expand his power, but to shoulder “a new historic responsibility.”

In an era marked by dramatic changes, Ma said he was confident he could lead the KMT to a future that was democratic, clean and efficient. Only by doing so can the KMT meet public expectations, he said.

His campaign platform will focus on reform and unity, he said, adding that he wanted to make the party vibrant, righteous and competitive.

Ma said as the KMT is already a democratic party, it would not return to the days when the party dictated government policy, but would play the role of cooperating and assisting the administration.

Ma defined the party's decision-making body, the Central Standing Committee, as a communication platform. Future major policies and budgets must go through the party and executive branch before they proceed to the legislature for approval, he said.

He also expressed hope that the executive branch could communicate with the legislative branch before it sends bills or budget requests to the legislature.

If elected chairman, Ma said he would continue the communication channel between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and hoped non-KMT members would participate.

However, the the KMT-CCP forum is not an official authority and its conclusions are not legally binding, he said.

Future party nominees for public offices must be honest and clean, he said.

The party should also systematically scout for talent and cultivate new blood, he said.
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