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Ma renews KMT job offer to Wang, but Wang says no

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) urged Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to take a party vice chairman post to improve their lines of communication, amid speculation of growing tensions between them.

"Ever since I was elected as KMT chairman last year I've been inviting Speaker Wang to serve as a vice chairman. This way we would meet twice a week and the chance for communication would naturally increase," Ma said yesterday after he presided over a municipal meeting at the Taipei City Hall.

A total of 28 KMT legislators from the center and south of the country held a "Youth Forum" on Monday night to discuss the party's future and devise solutions to recent divisions between the party and its legislative caucus.

During the meeting, Wang reportedly agreed with some legislators who feel that the party headquarters has failed to communicate adequately with the caucus.

Wang told the lawmakers that Ma did not necessarily accept his suggestions even if they met.

Ma said Wang becoming a party vice chairman was "the solution" to the issue.

"This is why I insisted on [having Wang as a vice chairman] last year. With him participating in the decision-making process, we could communicate more," he said.

Ma ran against Wang for the chairmanship last August.

After losing, Wang rejected Ma's offer to be first vice chairman. He had previously served as a vice chairman under former chairman Lien Chan (連戰).

Yesterday Wang described Ma's renewed job offer "as a joke."

"There is no need for me to react to an old event," he said.

Wang said he had made a deal with Ma not to serve as a vice chairman.

"I haven't participated in the KMT's internal operations for the past year or more -- it is not just now," Wang said.

"Ma can consult with me anytime he likes. I will talk to him in my role as legislative speaker," he said.

He said that he is planning to visit both Ma and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) soon, however, to discuss "some important issues pending in the legislature."

Meanwhile, KMT Secretary-General Chan Chun-po (詹春柏) yesterday dismissed speculation that members of the so-called "Ma troop" dominated the party's legislative caucus in Ma's name.

Chan said he would arrange a meeting between Ma and the party's lawmakers to discuss the caucus issue.

Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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