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Wang Jin-pyng hints at plan for 2008

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) inadvertently admitted he plans to run for president year, but denied he had launched his presidential bid yesterday.

When asked by reporters why he was not entering the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) chairman by-election next month, Wang said: "I am preparing for the presidential election and have to attend to the legislature."

"How can I possibly think of being KMT chairman? It's out of the question. [The chairman election] is not an option," he said.

But after his remarks were widely interpreted by reporters as tipping his presidential plans, Wang said the media was wrong.

In an interview in the latest issue of the Chinese-language weekly Asia Weekly, Wang said he had more strengths than former KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) when it comes to competing with the Democratic Progressive Party's nominee in next year's presidential poll.

Wang told the weekly that he could facilitate ethnic integration and create harmony between the ruling and the opposition camps because he is both a KMT member and a native Taiwanese.

Meanwhile, Ma said yesterday that he was not surprised by Wang's remarks, while denying that the legislative speaker's comments would rule out the idea of the two of them pairing up for next year's election.

"The KMT has its system, and will present the best pair ... Through its negotiation mechanism, the KMT will only have one pair of presidential candidates," Ma said during a campaign tour in Yunlin county, while giving his blessing to Wang.

In other developments, KMT Vice Chairman Chan Chun-po (詹春柏) confirmed yesterday that Ma had asked him to be his presidential campaign manager. But Chan said he would not make a decision until he had a chance to speak to Wang.

"Ma and Wang are both my good friends, and so I will have to talk to Wang before taking the position," Chan said.

He said party members were still hopeful of seeing Wang and Ma cooperating.

Since Ma announced his bid to run for president last month after he was indicted on corruption charges and resigned as KMT chairman, he has been lining up staff for a presidential campaign office. Most of the staff from his chairmanship office and some from his Taipei administration, including former deputy mayor King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) and Chang Wang-hao (張王浩), former deputy director of the KMT's Organization and Development Committee, have signed on.

According to TVBS, Ma will formally open his presidential campaign headquarters on Xinyi Road near Taipei City Hall on March 12.

Kang Bing-cheng (康炳政), former director of Taipei's Tourism Commission, said Ma's team was still searching for the right spot.
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