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KMT calls for unity in wake of Wang criticism

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng's (王金平) recent comments targeting Mainlander Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politicians met with concern from KMT members yesterday, with former acting chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) urging members who damage party unity to leave the party.

Wu, who is running for KMT chairman, repeated his pledge yesterday to push for cooperation between Wang and former KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in the presidential election if he is elected chairman, while urging all KMT members to promote party unity.

"I would be an aggressive chairman and demand that Wang and Ma work together. Any member who doesn't join us in promoting party unity should leave the KMT now," Wu said yesterday during a meeting with grassroots supporters in Taichung.

Wu made the remarks in response to Wang's comments on Monday. Wang accused the KMT of designing the party's presidential primary mechanism for one particular candidate. He also raised the ethnicity issue, saying that the appropriateness of a minority ethnic group governing a majority ethnic group was questionable and would hurt the KMT in the presidential election.

"There have been discussions at home and abroad, as well as in public and in academia, about the appropriateness of the political elite of a minority ethnic group governing a majority ethnic group. The party has to think about this seriously," Wang said on Monday.

While Wang didn't elaborate, it is believed he was questioning Ma's suitability because of his Mainlander origins.

KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) rebutted Wang's accusation, urging the speaker to specify which aspect of the primary mechanism discriminated against him.

In response to disputes between the Wang and Ma camps, KMT central standing committee members yesterday joined Wu Poh-hsiung in expressing their concern that party unity could be damaged ahead of the legislative and presidential elections.

"Wang and Ma are important assets to the KMT and the two camps should not destroy each other," KMT Legislator Shyu Jong-shyoung (徐中雄) said yesterday at KMT headquarters.

KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) complained about ongoing disputes among party heavyweights, urging the party to solve the situation before the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) attacked the KMT with the unity issue.

"While grassroots supporters are working hard to push for unity, party bigwigs are shouting at each other. The party needs to address this situation immediately," she said.

KMT spokesman Su June-pin (蘇俊賓) said party members did not see ethnicity as an issue that would influence the party's performance in the presidential election, adding that the party would focus its efforts to push for party unity.

Meanwhile, the KMT is discussing nominations for the year-end legislative elections and is considering giving the nomination priority to the People First Party (PFP) in seven districts, including Taipei County and Hualien County, the party said.

The year-end legislative elections will mark the first time that a "single-member constituency, two votes" electoral system is used.

The KMT and the PFP will hold public opinion polls in districts in Kaohsiung and Taichung counties and Taichung city in order to field a single pan-blue candidate, Wu Den-yih said.
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