Key Ma aide dumped in committee poll

"The party does not nominate or promote any candidates. We don't have preferred candidates, either."

Ma Ying-jeou, KMT chairman

Only two of three candidates for the KMT Central Standing Committee election from "Ma troop" -- Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) top aides and supporters -- won seats on the party's key 31-member decision-making body.

The two successful candidates were KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) and Taipei City councilor Lai Shyh-bao (賴世葆).

Former deputy Taipei mayor Ou Chin-de (歐晉德) failed to retain his seat on the committee.

KMT Legislator Hung Yu-chin (洪玉欽) attracted the most votes in the poll, followed by KMT Legislator Lee Jih-chu (李紀珠).

Legislators made up more than half of those elected, including legislative caucus head Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) and John Wu (吳志揚), the son of KMT Vice Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄).

Incumbent committee member Lien Sheng-wen (連勝文), who is the son of former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰), and who received the second-largest number of votes in last year's election, only placed 11th yesterday.

A total of 106 candidates ran in the election, and 1,395 party delegates cast their votes around the country.

Ma yesterday denied that the party had prepared a list of preferred committee members before the election, and restated his determination to wipe out bribery in the party's elections.

"There are many ways of campaigning in the elections for central committee members ... The party does not nominate or promote any candidates. We don't have preferred candidates, either," he said after casting his vote at KMT headquarters.

The KMT has revised its regulations, requiring that candidates not send out gifts or buy votes in elections.

During the campaign period, three candidates had to withdraw because of bribery allegations.

"I can't say that the election was 100 percent [clean], but I think we made big progress compared with past elections," Ma said.