Print

Mail

wiki links

KMT, PFP still testing merger

A merger between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) next year can only happen if the two parties cooperate in nominating candidates for the legislative elections later this year, KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yi (吳敦義) said yesterday.

The KMT and the PFP signed a written agreement outlining the principles for a joint nomination system last Friday, including ensuring that at least five PFP lawmakers will be nominated in the elections and agreeing that the two parties should join efforts to merge next year.

Wu said whether or not the two parties will merge depends on the result of the joint nominations.

"The agreement is a big step toward a KMT-PFP merger ... But the goal won't be reached if either side does not cherish the agreement," he said.

The agreement stipulates that a PFP incumbent lawmaker would be nominated in constituencies without a KMT incumbent. Where there is a KMT incumbent, that person will become the two parties' joint nominee if there is no PFP incumbent.

While the KMT promised to give the PFP nomination priority in several districts in the agreement, Wu said that the joint nomination system would have to follow the KMT's election mechanism to decide on final candidates via a primary and polls.

"If the PFP lawmakers are willing to register under the KMT name, it goes without saying that the two parties could merge smoothly," he said.

The all-night negotiations last Friday were attended by PFP legislators Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) and Lee Fu-tien (李復甸) as well as Wu and KMT Central Policy Committee Executive Director Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權).

Wu said the KMT was "sincere" in continuing to push for talks with the PFP on how to nominate candidates in 10 constituencies where lawmakers from both parties are seeking re-election.

Wu also announced that the KMT would hold its 16th congress on June 24, but denied that it would use the occasion to further relax regulations to allow former chairman and Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to represent the party in next year's presidential election.

The KMT removed its "black gold exclusion clause" after Ma was indicted on corruption charges. It is expected to further amend its regulations during the annual congress so that only members convicted in a third trial would be suspended from the party.

Wu said that amending party regulations is part of the congress' annual agenda, but the party would not discuss the "black gold" amendment unless a delegate submitted a proposal.

Meanwhile, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said yesterday that People First Party and Non-Partisan Solidarity Union lawmakers would have to run under the "KMT" title if the parties were fielding joint candidates for the legislative elections in December.

"As for the merger between the KMT and the PFP, it's not a simple task. There are still many things that have to be arranged," Wang said.

Wang played down reports that some KMT lawmakers had expressed dissatisfaction with the KMT-PFP agreement ensuring at least five berths for PFP lawmakers.

He said that if the KMT and the PFP were to nominate their own legislative candidates when the single-member district system is adopted, the pan-blue camp would be crushed.
This story has been viewed 1439 times.