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KMT chairman candidates stress reform

Candidates vying for the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) chairmanship stressed the message of party reform and unity in a televised debate yesterday.

In the debate, Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), the KMT's former acting chairman who resigned his acting role to run in the chairmanship by-election, said "mercy" and "wisdom" should be two crucial driving forces for KMT members.

He called on all members not to "sacrifice their own interests for the greater good."

Instead, KMT members should learn from past failure, he said.

"It does not matter who wins the by-election, but it matters that the KMT win [in next year's presidential election]," he said.

He said that because the KMT had disappointed the people in the past, the party must bravely face its weaknesses now.

"The KMT has a brilliant history. In the past when we were in power, we improved people's lives by contributing to Taiwanese economic prosperity," he said.

"We have to convey a message to the people that we do not wish to win the presidency for our own interests, but to put an end to the public unrest resulting from the Democratic Progressive Party's seven-year rule," he added.

His opponent, KMT legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), also campaigned on issues similar to Wu's.

She said that a part of her campaign platform was to propose policies that people can identify with.

Hung said that she considered being unmarried an advantage in her drive to become KMT chairwoman.

Because she has been "married" to the KMT, Hung said she can work at her utmost for the party because she does not have a family to worry about.

Former Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) resigned as KMT chairman after being indicted on corruption charges on Feb. 13.

The by-election is scheduled for Saturday.
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