Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman-elect Ma Ying-jeou (
Lien had twice met privately with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Yesterday's meeting had been the focus of much speculation, including whether Lien would attempt to repair relations between Ma and Wang that had been strained to the breaking point by the election.
Ma and Lien talked for about an hour. After the two men exited the meeting room, Ma was engulfed by a swarm of reporters.
The Taipei mayor said Lien expected him to continue communicating sincerely with Wang and tried to discover the root of the problems between the rivals.
"During our conversation, I emphasized solidarity, cooperation and harmony as the KMT's goals and Chairman Lien totally agreed with my points," Ma said.
When asked about whether Lien also agreed that Wang should remain one of the party's vice chairmen, the mayor said that Lien did not say so, but did say that he was willing to talk to Wang if it was necessary.
"Since the local government elections are coming, cooperation and unity are definitely the keys to that challenge," Ma said.
He also told reporters that he will take over the chairmanship on Aug. 19 and planned only a minor personnel reshuffle.
"All the personnel arrangements will be based on the principle of stability and solidarity," he said.
Lien did not say much about the meeting, only that he and Ma had discussed general issues that covered many areas. He said "everything is unfolding gradually."
"My experience will be handed down to Ma little by little. There's no need to hurry," Lien said.
Ma declined to say what appointments he would make, saying that the time was not "ripe."
However, according to a party official who spoke on condition of anonymity, KMT Central Policy Committee chief Tseng Yung-chuan (
KMT Secretary-General Lin Feng-cheng (林豐正) denied yesterday that Ma had offered him a vice- chairmen post, saying everything was still being discussed.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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