Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) dignitaries yesterday staged a rare gathering to mark the Lunar New Year celebrations, with KMT Chairman and New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) urging solidarity within the party and pledging to revive support for the party.
Among those in attendance were President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), marking the first joint public appearance of Ma, Wang and Chu since Chu succeeded Ma as chairman last month.
During his speech, Ma described the KMT as a “moral,” “upright” party that could “tell right from wrong,” echoing remarks he made earlier this month when he called on the party to continue its suit against Wang over his party membership, saying it concerned “the KMT’s core values.”
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
Wang took the KMT to court in September 2013 after the party revoked his membership amid allegations that Wang tried to influence the judiciary to help an opposition legislator in a legal case.
Chu has been urged by pro-Wang supporters to drop the case, and he hinted at the possibility of doing so, citing the need to enhance party harmony.
Despite possessing seemingly different views on the Wang issue, Ma praised Chu for retaining two legislative seats in the by-elections earlier this month and helping the KMT recover after its resounding defeat in last year’s nine-in-one elections.
Ma also urged closer cooperation between the administrative and legislative branches, while Wang called on the Executive Yuan to pay attention to public opinion, make its decisionmaking process transparent and familiarize the KMT caucus with the Executive Yuan’s major policies before they go before the legislative floor.
Ma said he rearranged his schedule to attend the Lunar New Year celebration because the KMT caucus’ invitation had moved him.
KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said Ma had not originally been invited because the caucus considered the gathering a minor celebration.
KMT Legislator Liao Kuo-tung (廖國棟) said Ma had refused to attend the celebrations in the first place because he had other arrangements.
Meanwhile, Wang told the KMT caucus to make greater efforts to meet public expectations, saying: “I am confident that we [the KMT] can regain public support and trust within a year’s time.”
Supporters of Wu and Wang — both considered likely KMT presidential hopefuls — voiced their encouragement at the gathering yesterday, with some urging Wu to run for president in next year’s election
However, neither Wu nor Wang commented on the issue.
At a separate setting, Wang dismissed reports that said he would announce a bid for presidency in June, adding that those reports were “false” and merely “rumors.”
With the party yet to nominate its presidential candidate, Chu said that a nomination mechanism would be made public shortly.
Additional reporting by Lai Hsiao-tung and Chen Yan-ting
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