The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday ejected a party member for defying its ban on campaign activities while relief efforts continue amid the devastation wrought by Typhoon Morakot.
KMT Evaluation and Discipline Committee head Juan Kang-meng (阮剛猛) said Fan Heng-chih (范姮枝), vice chairwoman of the party’s branch in Kaohsiung’s Jiaxian Township (甲仙), organized a gathering at Kaohsiung’s Grand Hotel on Monday for candidates in internal KMT elections.
Parts of Jiaxian, one of the hardest hit areas, were wiped out by landslides early on Sunday morning.
PHOTO: CNA
Juan said Fan’s actions constituted a serious violation of the party’s ban.
The party on Monday postponed its election for central party members until Saturday next week and banned candidates from engaging in campaign activities in the wake of Typhoon Morakot.
The 300 candidates have been told to refrain from attending gatherings to canvass support for their election bids, but are allowed to distribute campaign messages via text messages, phone calls and mail.
Juan said the party revoked Fan’s membership, while participants in the gathering received “harsh warnings.”
The party spoke to each of them by telephone and warned them not to repeat the mistake, Juan said.
Meanwhile, the KMT yesterday thanked China’s Taiwan Affairs Office for expressing concern about the disaster.
KMT spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) said both sides should cherish the mutual demonstrations of goodwill and friendly interaction during times of crisis, adding that the KMT and Taiwanese have offered assistance on occasions when China was reeling from serious flooding and earthquakes.
“Mainland compatriots are concerned about and empathize with the major losses of life and property in the central and southern areas,” the Taiwan Affairs Office said in a telegram sent to the KMT, adding that it was willing to provide any necessary assistance.
At a separate setting yesterday, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) accused the ruling party of being apathetic toward disaster victims.
The DPP said the KMT should stand in solidarity with the flood victims and pour its energy into relief efforts rather than focusing on campaigning for the year-end elections.
“Striving to devote all of our efforts, time and resources to relief efforts, the party has decided to hold off on all campaign activity for one week. But it is regrettable that the KMT continues to woo voters during this time of crisis,” DPP Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said.
Cheng said most of the KMT members who went to survey the affected areas with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) were the party’s nominees for the year-end local elections, not incumbent county commissioners.
This shows that they were there simply to rally support for their candidacy, Cheng said.
Although the KMT has said all its campaign activities would be suspended for one week, many pan-blue politicians continued to hold campaign dinners, he said, urging KMT officials to put relief efforts above their own political interests.
Cheng said that following the Sichuan Earthquake in May last year, many prominent Taiwanese businesses donated money and goods to help Chinese quake victims.
He urged the businesses to repeat the gesture for their own people.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JENNY W. HSU
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