Wu Po-hsiung assigned election support role

Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄), a Hakka elder and adviser to the Presidential Office, was named to head KMT presidential candidate Lien Chan's (連戰) booster headquarters yesterday.

The appointment was announced by KMT Chairman, President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), at the party's Central Standing Committee's weekly meeting yesterday.

Besides Wu, the committee also passed the appointment of six deputy chiefs for the support headquarters, including Wang Yung-tsai (王永在), president of the Formosa Plastics Corp (台塑), Lin Yu-lin (林堉璘), founder of the Hung Kuo Group (宏國集團), Hsu Sheng-fa (許勝發), chairman of the Cosmo Bank and Tsai Wan-tsai (蔡萬才), chairman of Fu Pang Group (富邦集團).

At the meeting, Wu said that as a member of the KMT for more than 30 years, he was obliged to help the party face its present challenge.

The former KMT party secretary-general also said that as a party member he would not dodge responsibility if it was proven that the party had committed mistakes.

Independent presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) reportedly had sought Wu's support in the election.

Soong, who himself held the post of former secretary-general of the KMT, has been steering clear of the party, accusing it of corruption.