Pan-blue alliance names heads of eight committees

The KMT and PFP announced yesterday the heads of eight committees that will be in charge of coordinating the alliance's bid for the presidential election next March.

The eight committees, each in charge of different aspects of the campaign, are slated to convene their first meeting tomorrow. The meeting is expected to announce that KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) will head the joint bid with PFP counterpart James Soong (宋楚瑜) as his running mate.

Each committee is to be co-convened by a member of each party. Both the KMT and the PFP disclosed their respective lists after holding meetings yesterday.

The KMT-PFP Alliance Committee, made up of the eight sub-committees and members-at-large, will be chaired by both Lien and Soong, with Soong acting as the chief convener of the sub-committees.

"Do not associate personnel on these committees as a divvying up of spoils and power," Soong said after announcing the list. "The purpose of having these committees is mainly to provide a responsible mechanism for the cooperation of the two political parties."

Soong added that the alliance would not rule out the possibility of establishing additional committees on issues such women's issues and aboriginal affairs.

KMT Vice Chairman Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) was excluded from the list.

"Chairman Lien Chan had extended an invitation to Siew more than once to either be one of the committee co-conveners or members-at-large, but Siew refused to take up any post," KMT spokesman Alex Tsai (蔡正元) said.

"Siew however has promised that he will help with the campaign," Tsai said.