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Wang Jin-pyng calls on KMT to initiate personnel changes

""To win next year's election, the party needs to make personnel adjustments."

Wang Jin-pyng, legislative speaker

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) faces an "uncertain future" if it fails to initiate personnel changes, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said yesterday.

"To win next year's election, the party needs to make personnel adjustments," Wang said at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport after returning from his five-day trip in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Wang's remarks came in response to a petition launched last Saturday by a group of KMT grassroots supporters urging the party to replace Secretary-General Wu Den-yih (吳敦義).

The petition, initiated by Kaohsiung County Council Vice Speaker Lu Shu-mei (陸淑美) and cosigned by Kaohsiung County Council Speaker Hsu Fu-sen (許福森) and a number of councilors in Kaohsiung, Taichung and Hsiuchu, accused Wu and his deputy, Liao Feng-de (廖風德), of spreading rumors to blacken Wang's name.

Wang had previously denied knowledge of the petition and refused to comment when pressed by reporters.

Wang said that a personnel reshuffle was necessary to enhance party unity and boost its chances of winning next year.

If the party fails to make and integrate these changes, it would face an uncertain future, he said.

During Wang's time in Abu Dhabi, rumors also circulated that some KMT members were planning to launch a signature drive calling on the party to support Wang as an independent candidate if KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) second trial in a corruption case ended in a guilty verdict.

Asked for comment, Wang said yesterday he did not know how the rumor started.

Responding to Wang's remarks, Ma said that the party had already implemented changes with new officials taking charge.

"The KMT had a new secretary-general in January and elected a new chairman in April. The party has a new leadership and is facing new prospects," he said in Kaohsiung yesterday.

Ma said that all party members had reached consensus to have Wang stay in the legislature, and had reacted positively to personnel changes within the party.

Ma added that he had telephoned Hsu and Lu to clear up any misunderstanding and put an end to the issue.

KMT Spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) later said that the party would carefully reflect on its personnel and nomination policies, adding that it would practice humility and promote better communication among party members.

Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
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