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Wang dismisses report of 2008 run as an independent

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday dismissed a report that he would run in next year's presidential election as an independent should the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) revise its platform to ensure former chairman Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) presidential candidacy.

"Don't blabber," Wang said when asked to respond to a story in yesterday's Chinese-language United Daily News.

The newspaper quoted anonymous sources as saying that Wang would register as an independent in October.

Wang said that his decision to sit out the KMT primary should not be "over explained."

"I have not said that I will run for president. For the sake of party unity, I did not take part in the primary so that Ma would become the sole party candidate. That was proof of my sincerity to the party ... I have done what I should do. It's inappropriate to over explain," Wang said.

The KMT repealed its "black-gold exclusion clause" -- which suspended a person's membership if he or she were indicted -- after Ma was indicted on corruption charges. The party is also expected to relax regulations that bar members convicted of a crime from being a party candidate.

Meanwhile, Ma reiterated yesterday that he would invite Wang to run on the KMT ticket for next year's presidential poll.

Ma said he would not refuse to negotiate with Wang, but since he has picked up a candidate registration form, he would try to surpass the minimum number of signatures needed -- 16,750 -- to complete the registration process.

He declined to comment on whether he thought Wang would run as an independent.

Former acting KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), who won the party's chairmanship by-election on Saturday, said that he did not think Wang would run as an independent.

He said the KMT would try to coordinate between Ma and Wang.
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