Newly elected Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) called on party members yesterday to shed their "old ways" of conducting politics, a call that immediately won support from the Demo-cratic Progressive Party's (DPP) legislative caucus.
In Taichung, Ma asked his supporters aspiring to become delegates at the party's 17th Central Committee Plenary Meeting to "make as many policy proposals as possible" and to stop soliciting votes by throwing banquets and handing out gifts.
Real reformers
"We have to make our countrymen believe that we are genuine reformers," the Taipei mayor told party members in Taichung County, where he won 71 percent of the vote in a contest with Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng (
His calls for genuine reform were blessed by DPP legislative caucus Secretary-General William C.T. Lai (
Bright future
"Only when the KMT succeeds in reforming itself will Taiwan have a bright future. It won't do the country any good if the KMT fails in its reform program and the ruling and opposition parties keep on fighting each other, deadlocking domestic politics," Lai sai.
While calling on the public to give Ma enough time to pursue his reform targets, Lai also expressed the hope that all KMT members will support Ma's reforms so that the nation's political chaos will stop and a new era of political rapprochement can be created.
Foremost
The first and foremost reform project that Ma said he would like his party to implement is to say goodbye to "the old politics" of hosting banquets and giving out gifts in exchange for votes during the election of party delegates.
"Let's change the old practices. Let's put forward more good proposals and ideals. Let's share our visions about the future of the party and the country," Ma said.
Support rises
He recalled recent surveys about popular support for the KMT, saying that before outgoing Chairman Lien Chan (
Following the party chairman election, the rate grew further to almost 50 percent, Ma said.
He said this is an achievement worthy of preservation by all party members.
Preserve and expand
One way to preserve and even expand that "gradually accumulated" achievement would be to devote more time and energy to discussing policy ideas at party meetings, instead of just eating and drinking without brainstorming.
"We have entered an era of reform and we must save our resources for real reforms. Only when we show our sincerity to reform ourselves will we be able to touch the hearts of the electorate," Ma said.
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