KMT considers making Mayor Ma a vice chairman

With the Lien-Soong ticket seen as representing "old-man politics," analysts are split on what impact making Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) a vice chairman of the KMT would have on next year's presidential election.

KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) said yesterday that "it is possible" KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) would nominate Ma to be the party's vice chairman during a two-day meeting slated to begin today.

"Ma is the political star of the KMT," Lin said when asked about whether Ma would be nominated during the party's national congress.

"It is possible that Chairman Lien intends to nominate Ma as a vice chairman to the party."

Lien, however, was tight-lipped about moving Ma up the party ranks, but hinted such a move was possible.

"It is a sure thing that the party will adjust its leadership toward a more youthful direction," he said.

According to KMT regulations, there is no limit on the number of vice chairpersons the party may have.

The KMT has five vice chairpersons: Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), Chiang Chung-ling (蔣仲苓) and Helen Lin (林澄枝). They were all named by Lien.

Any additional person holding a vice chairmanship would not jeopardize the position of the other five, according to KMT spokeswoman Kuo Su-chun (郭素春).

Ma is currently a member of the party's Central Standing Committee, the party's highest decision-making body.

"It would be a popular move enjoyed and supported by all [KMT members] if Ma is named as party vice chairman," said KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖).

KMT Legislator Sun Kauo-hwa (孫國華) said that Ma's promotion to vice chairman would greatly enhance the KMT's image as well as improve the chances of the blue camp's joint presidential bid next year.

Lien and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) had signed a memorandum of understanding on the formation of a KMT-PFP alliance last month and agreed to run together on a joint ticket in next March's presidential election.

"Given Ma's fresh image, flawless integrity and popularity among the general populace, Ma's assumption of the vice chairmanship would not only help reshape the party image as youthful and vigorous but could also [have him acting as] the best campaign representative of the pan-blue camp," Sun said.

The TSU's Department of Culture and Information chief Hsiao Kwan-yu (蕭貫譽), however, expressed doubts that promoting Ma would greatly improve the KMT's image.

"Although it is true that Ma enjoys high popularity, the key is that the voters have to decide on the Lien-Soong pairing and not on Ma," Hsiao said. "And I don't think that the KMT can easily ditch its `black gold' image [with the addition of a new vice chairman]."

While saying that making Ma a vice chairman might promote a youthful image, PFP legislative leader Chiu-yi (邱毅) said the move would not, however, have a big impact on the presidential race as Lien and Soong are the key figures in the contest.