Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) secretary-general-designate King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) will rejoin President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) team this week — helping Ma in his role as party chairman, not at the Presidential Office.
Ma made the announcement about King’s appointment on Wednesday last week, but it was no surprise to many political observers that King, a former top aide, was Ma’s choice for a top post again after the party suffered a significant setback in local government elections on Dec. 5.
The president defended his appointment of King during an interview with CTV on Friday, saying he expected King to serve as the “chief executive officer of the KMT” and to implement his policies on party reform.
PHOTO: CNA
“Mr. King is an honest man with integrity. I expect him to bring vitality and creativity to the party ... I am willing to take responsibility if he does not do well,” Ma said.
King, 54, worked at the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission in 1988 when Ma was commissioner. He became a top aide to Ma after joining his campaign team and helping him win the Taipei mayoral election in 1997.
THE KNIFE
Often referred to as “King the Knife” (金小刀) for his sharp attacks on Ma’s political rivals, King joined Ma’s municipal team in 1999 as director of Taipei City’s Department of Information, where his job was to promote Ma’s policies.
He returned to National Chengchi University to teach journalism in 2001, after helping Ma win re-election, but joined Ma’s team again in 2004 as deputy mayor after two former deputy mayors left the Ma administration.
King developed a close working relationship with Ma and became his most trusted aide over the years.
However, King’s relationship with city councilors and the press remained problematic.
ARROGRANT
Many city councilors described King as a “proud rooster.” The Taipei City Council once canceled his special fund as Information Department director to protest his “arrogance” and “lack of respect” for it.
“He is too arrogant and unyielding, and made a lot of enemies both in the city government and city council. His personality will not be helpful to Ma,” KMT Taipei City Councilor Li Keng Kuei-fang (厲耿桂芳) said.
KMT Central Standing Committee (CSC) member Lin Yi-hua (林奕華), who is also a Taipei city councilor, said she was surprised that King accepted Ma’s invitation to serve as KMT secretary-general because King was always critical of the party’s history.
“But I am not surprised that he will act as a firefighter [to help Ma resolve a crisis] once again,” she said.
King’s handling of media coverage of Ma and his mayoral team also created tensions with the press.
One reporter from a local newspaper, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that when serving as Information Department director, King would call press officials and media executives and pressure them not to carry negative coverage of Ma, sparking a protest from reporters covering the city government beat.
LOYAL AIDE
In spite of his controversial style, King has been Ma’s top aide in his political career. He vowed, however, not to join Ma at the Presidential Office or in the Cabinet after last year’s presidential election.
CSC member Sean Lien (連勝文) said King should be able to better implement Ma’s party policies.
“The party’s secretary-general should work closely with the chairman, and so it is logical for Chairman Ma to appoint someone who has an unspoken understanding with him,” he said.
New Party Taipei City Councilor Wang Hong-wei (王鴻薇) said it would be a great challenge for King to help Ma reform the 100-year-old KMT, and confrontation with local factions would be inevitable.
UNFAZED
King shrugged off concerns about his appointment, saying he would do his best to fulfill his duties.
“I will do my best to fulfill my role and spare no effort,” King said when approached by reporters in Washington.
Political pundit Ku Chung-hua (顧忠華) of National Chengchi University said King’s top priority will be helping Ma to win the 2012 presidential election.
However, it could actually be too early for the president to “play the King card,” because as KMT chairman, Ma should first address such issues as the KMT stolen assets and next year’s special municipality elections, Ku said.
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