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KMT divided on further rule changes

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has no immediate plan to relax its regulations so that former chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) could remain the party's presidential candidate if he were found guilty of corruption, KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said yesterday.

KMT regulations state that any member found guilty of a crime would be suspended.

Wu said that although some party members and grassroots supporters wanted the party to amend its regulations to only suspend members if they are found guilty on appeal, there were no plans to do so.

The KMT's so-called "black gold exclusion clause" was formulated by the party's Central Standing Committee and revised under Ma's chairmanship last year to stipulate that any party member who is indicted on suspicion of a crime should be suspended.

Wu said that KMT regulations were tougher than those of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which state that members should be suspended if found guilty on appeal.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday denounced the idea of amending party regulations to ensure that Ma would qualify for presidential candidacy.

"Whether to amend the regulations should hinge on public sentiment," Wang said. "If the KMT is seen to be eroding its own moral standards, how could voters feel sympathetic to the party and continue to support it?"

The issue provoked another quarrel between Ma's and Wang's supporters.

KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), a Ma supporter, said amending the regulation would prevent party members from being removed from the presidential race by political interference from the DPP.

"To be able to deal with a rogue party like the DPP we need to consider the amendment. If we don't revise it, some party members beset by litigation might be disqualified from the legislative elections. It's a problem that concerns not just Ma, but the party as a whole," he said.

KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順), who supports Wang, said that it would be improper to amend the regulation.

Some pro-Ma legislators also expressed unease about amending the clause.

"It's unnecessary to amend the regulation. Undue manipulation would only hurt Ma's image and that of the party," KMT Legislator Shyu Jong-shyoung (徐中雄) said.

Meanwhile, the party yesterday confirmed that former chairman Lien Chan (連戰) was scheduled to meet Ma and Wang this morning in an effort to pair them in the presidential election.

Lien, however, denied that he would try to persuade Ma to accept a "Wang-Ma" presidential ticket at the meeting. He also denied that Wu Den-yih and acting KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) would side with Ma against Lien and Wang.

After a 30-minute meeting with Lien yesterday morning, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said that Lien had stressed the importance of KMT unity at the meeting, and said that the party would not win the presidential election if Ma and Wang did not pair up.

"Lien is pretty flexible, and I think his political wisdom would make the negotiations successful," Hau told the press after the meeting at Lien's office.

Ma, on the other hand, left home for a private dinner party with friends in the afternoon. It was his first public appearance after announcing his presidential bid on Tuesday night.

"Thank you all. I feel very calm now," Ma told the press gathered in front of his residence when they approached him for comment.

Wang, who has been evasive about whether he planned to run for president next year, said at a separate event yesterday that he did not expect to reach a consensus with Ma before the next Lunar New Year, which starts on Sunday.

"I need more time to make a careful assessment," Wang said.

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