The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday denied it would revise party regulations and make it mandatory for the president to double as party chairman, dismissing allegations that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is seeking to secure his post as party chairman through similar actions.
Ma, who took over as KMT chairman in 2009, has allegedly faced pressure from within his party to resign from the post amid public anger over a string of unpopular policies, including controversial US beef imports and fuel and electricity price hikes.
Local media reported that Ma planned to revise KMT regulations during the party’s national congress this year in a bid to make it mandatory for the president to also serve as party chairman.
Chuang Po-chung (莊伯仲), director of the KMT’s Communication and Culture Committee, yesterday said any process of revising party regulations must go through national congress, but said the party would not hold a national congress this year.
“There have been many suggestions about President Ma’s identities as both president and chairman ... However, the KMT will not hold a national congress this year, and currently we have no plans to revise party regulations,” he said.
Chuang also dismissed talk of an “anti-Ma” force within the party and said the party’s support for Ma was unanimous.
Speculation about Ma facing problems within the party began after a Central Standing Committee member from Chiayi Country last week suggested that Ma should focus on his duties as president.
Chuang said the committee member was worried the president’s health, given his heavy workload.
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