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Ma not interested in party chairmanship, office says

“Mr Ma expressed his views in the matter before the presidential election. He does not have such a plan. His position on the issue remains unchanged. ”

Lo Chih-chiang, Ma spokesman

Despite Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung’s (吳伯雄) proposal that president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) double as KMT chairman, Ma’s office said yesterday that he did not intend to assume chairmanship.

“Mr Ma expressed his views in the matter before the presidential election. He does not have such a plan. His position on the issue remains unchanged,” Ma spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) said.

Lo made the remarks after KMT spokeswoman Chen Shu-rong (陳淑容) told a press conference following the KMT’s Central Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday that Wu had proposed the idea of an amendment to the KMT charter to allow the president to double as party chairman, Chen said.

Asked for comment yesterday, KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said the party’s charter stipulates that the chairpersons should be elected by party members, but that the party can also discuss whether to allow the president-elect to take up the chairmanship, as the president-elect enjoys greater public support.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), a KMT member, urged the party to respect Ma’s position on the matter.

Having Ma double as party chairman would have its advantages and disadvantages, Wang said.

“[The advantages are] that his policies and ideas could be passed on to the administration and the legislature through party resolutions. This way, it would be easier to push [his policies],” he said.

On the other hand, the party could be criticized as dominating policymaking if Ma doubles as party chairman, Wang said.

Wang did not state his preference on whether Ma should act as chairman, but said that Wu Poh-hsiung “is a senior party official and has made numerous achievements,” adding that “many people would expect him to be reelected [as chairman].”

Meanwhile, Ma’s office yesterday downplayed news that he had been on the same flight as a guarded prisoner on Wednesday.

“We coordinated with the National Security Bureau regarding [Ma’s] safety,” Lo said.

Lo was approached for comment after the Chinese-language United Daily News reported yesterday that Ma was on the same flight to eastern Taiwan as a handcuffed prisoner who was being escorted by police to a prison in Taitung. The report said that Ma was seated in the first row while the prisoner was at the back of the plane.

“The prisoner was thoroughly searched,” SET-TV quoted prison governor Tai Shou-nan (戴壽南) as saying.
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