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Ma offers no opinion on boycott

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou, left, and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin stand in front of Taipei City Hall yesterday as they prepare to lead a morning jog. PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday declined to confirm whether he disagreed with his party's decision to boycott its own referendum this month.

KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) announced the party's decision on Monday to boycott two referendums to be held alongside legislative elections on Jan. 12: the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-proposed referendum on recovering assets stolen by the KMT and the KMT-proposed referendum on empowering the legislature to investigate allegations of misconduct involving senior government officials or their family members.

The move came one day after Ma had promised to cast referendum ballots to support the KMT's referendums.

"It doesn't matter whether we have different views on the issue. A political party is an organization formed by various people with varying views and it's impossible for party members to agree on everything," Ma said yesterday after visiting an author in Taipei.

Ma said he met with Wu on Monday to discuss the issue and agreed that boycotting the referendums would match the wishes of KMT supporters, as local party branches have been calling for such a move.

Ma said his party was determined to fight corruption and push for the nation's re-entry into the UN, but the DPP and Central Election Commission (CEC) left the KMT with no choice but to boycott the referendums.

The DPP has used the CEC to manipulate the situation, he said, adding that the KMT must boycott the referendums to avoid being used as an election tool.

Ma made similar comments earlier yesterday in a New Year's speech and pledged to host the Jan. 1 flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office next year.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said yesterday that local election commission heads removed from their positions must not attempt to preside over the commissions.

Shieh made the remarks after Hsiao Chia-chi (蕭家旗), who had been replaced as chairman of the Taichung City Election Commission, refused to leave the position.

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) on Monday decided to replace Hsiao and Chairman of Taipei County Election Commission Teng Min-chih (鄧民治).

Shieh said Hsiao and Teng had been transferred because they had not responded to an Executive Yuan inquiry on whether they would follow one-step voting.

The Executive Yuan removed Samuel Wu (吳秀光) from the post of Taipei City Election Commission chairman last week.

Wu, who initially refused to obey the order, said on Monday that he would temporarily hand over his post by taking a leave of absence starting today.

Shieh said regardless of whether Wu takes a leave of absence, he has been relieved of his post.

Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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