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Ma offers solution after wrangle

Members of the Awakening Foundation yesterday stage a protest in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei over lawyer and Control Yuan member nominee Yu Mei-nu’s rejection during the legislative review process. PHOTO: CNA

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wants to improve communication between the Presidential Office and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers after the recent controversy surrounding several of his nominees for the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan, Presidential Office spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday.

The president promised to improve communication with KMT legislators during a meeting with them on Sunday, Wang said.

He dismissed reports that “the president blamed himself for the controversy while KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) offered an apology” during the meeting about the legislative rejection of several nominees, including Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄), nominee for vice president of the Control Yuan, the nation’s highest watchdog body.

The rejection of Shen, a former Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker, was widely interpreted as a rejection of Ma’s first round of nominations since his May 20 inauguration, given that the KMT controls nearly 75 percent of the legislative seats.

The rejection also gave rise to speculation of a rift between Wu and Ma.

Wang said that the timeframe in which Ma had to submit his nomination lists for legislative approval had been very tight and that many lawmakers had complained about insufficient communication, having only learned of the nominee lists shortly before voting.

Wang said Ma might hold small meetings or have unscheduled contacts with lawmakers to increase exchanges.

In addition, the president will send e-mails or text messages to notify lawmakers of his press releases or major news items to keep them up to date on the Presidential Office’s views on specific issues, Wang said.

Wang said that Ma’s four separate meetings with nearly 50 KMT lawmakers on Sunday had been conducted in an “amiable atmosphere,” with Wu attending one.

The president explained his ideals, including professionalism, integrity and representation, in nominating the members of the Control Yuan and Examination Yuan, of which the nominees for the latter was still being screened by the legislature, Wang said.

The president believes party affiliation should not be a factor in approving nominees, Wang said, adding that most of the KMT legislators support Ma’s ideals and that if they had been informed of the nominees earlier, Shen would not have been rejected.

Wu said he has always had good communications with Ma.

Reports have said Shen’s rejection had been partly caused by Wu’s failure to ensure that the KMT members toed the party line.
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