KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday said that "black-gold" politics is no longer a problem for the KMT.
"The KMT has already ditched `black-gold' politics and has come out from under from the shadow of the practice that has dogged the party for the past 12 years," Lien said in a radio interview with the Voice of America.
Lien's remarks came in response to statements made by PFP Vice Chairman Chang Chao-hsiung (張昭雄) on Monday.
Chang said that unless the KMT sheds its "black gold" image once and for all, cooperation between it and the PFP will not guarantee future electoral success as the KMT's alleged corruption would provide the DPP with a major boost.
Chang was referring to a joint announcement made by Lien and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) on Saturday that the two will join forces and field a joint ticket for the 2004 presidential election.
"`Black gold' politics refers to illegal gains or profit acquired via means of political power," Lien said. "[In other words,] whichever is the ruling administration is the one that's more prone to have `black gold' politics."
"The opposition party does not have resources and thus is incapable of `black gold' politics," Lien said.
DPP legislative whip Wang Tuoh (
"I do not agree with Lien's comments that only the administration could operate in such a way," Wang told the Taipei Times.
"The KMT still has sizable party assets, so it could still use these assets corruptly."
Pointing out that the KMT had been involved in `black gold' politics when it was in power, Wang said that Lien's comment was a reflection of what the KMT would do if it were the ruling administration.
"Lien's remarks were unfair to the ruling administration because he [Lien] is using the KMT's standards to judge the ruling government," Wang said.
As to whether the KMT has already ditched corrupt political practices, Wang said that the public should judge the veracity of the statement.
"We are more than happy if the KMT is indeed making an effort to come clean on its questionable practices," Wang said.
"For the KMT still has many issues that it needs to clarify, for instance, most of the party's assets were allegedly acquired illegally," Wang said.
Meanwhile, PFP legislative leader Shen Chih-hwei (
"We basically support KMT-PFP cooperation," Shen said. "However, both the KMT and the PFP need to work on their respective internal reforms before implementing plans to cooperate."
"We are not saying that the KMT is involved in `black gold' politics now but that the KMT was involved in the practices," Shen said.
"We merely want to remind the KMT that it must come clean on its past practices, for instance, the party acquired some of its party assets as far back as when Japan occupied Taiwan," Shen said.
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