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KMT needs Lien as leader for one more term, legislator says

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) needs its current chairman, Lien Chan (連戰), to serve another term as party leader after his current term expires, KMT Legislator Hou Tsai-feng (侯彩鳳) said yesterday.

Speaking at the KMT's weekly Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday, Hou asked members of the party's top decision-making body to support a re-election campaign for Lien.

She touted the results of Lien's trip to China as proof of the nation's continued need for his leadership.

"Chairman [Lien], do not be too selfish; you must run again in order to protect our party comrades, to lead cross-strait interactions," Hou said at the party's first Central Standing Committee meeting since Lien's return on Tuesday.

Among a rising tide of voices calling for Lien to run for another term, Hou, a member of the committee, has been one of the more vocal campaigners.

While Lien has said on a number of occasions that he does not intend to run for the chairmanship again, the movement promoting his re-election has gathered momentum since his eight-day trip to China, during which he compiled a five-point communique with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).

Apparently referring to the the chairmanship campaigns of Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who are both vice chairmen of the KMT, Hou told yesterday's meeting that neither candidate would be able to perform his other duties satisfactorily while serving as party chairman.

She said that the leader of the KMT must be able to dedicate his full attention to cross-strait issues.

"I believe that there should be no Central Standing Committee members that are against Chairman Lien's re-election," Hou added, in a comment that gained no reaction from the bland-faced Ma.

While Wang and Ma are also Central Standing Committee members, only Ma was on hand to hear Hou's appeal, since Wang had left before Hou's speech.
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