Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have sharply criticized an assertion made in January by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that it would re-evaluate its assets, and the March 17 assurance of Premier Mao Chih-kuo (毛治國) that the KMT would make public all information on its assets.
Saying the KMT had still taken no action on the matter, the lawmakers said that the KMT pronouncements amounted to an effort at “fake reforms.”
DPP legislators said Chu should be familiar with party asset issues, as he was a member of a KMT committee tasked with estimating the party’s assets, which in 2000 valued its assets at NT$100 billion (US$3.19 billion).
Likening the KMT assets to the ring in The Lord of the Rings — a possession with strong, alluring powers that is hard to give up — DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said that as soon as KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) put on the “ring,” he was under its spell.
Chu’s power is based on the party’s assets, Chen said, citing Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen’s (陳威仁) comment in December last year: “How is the party expected to control the legislators and local factions without money?”
Even if the Ministry of Finance does disclose information on the KMT’s assets, the party can prevent the draft act on disposing party assets (黨產處理條例) from passing in the legislature, Chen Chi-mai said, adding that true transitional justice could only be implemented if the opposition wins the presidential election.
The KMT should take the initiative and disclose all information on its assets, then ensure the property is returned to its rightful owners and publicly apologize for having hoarded national assets for such a long time, DPP Legislator Chen Li-chun (鄭麗君) said.
If the KMT fails to to address these issues before next year’s presidential election, it would give the party an unfair campaigning advantage, she said, adding that the KMT cannot expect to continue to play both sides of the fence with civic awareness in society on the rise.
In response, KMT Legislator Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井) — tasked with the investigation into the KMT’s assets — said the evaluation is still under way.
“The party asset issue is complicated by history and the number of people involved, and results should not be expected after such a short period of evaluation,” Liao said. “Currently we do not have anything to announce, nor have we made any progress.”
The KMT has asked lawyer Jennifer Wang (王如玄) to become the investigation’s spokesperson, as she would have more credibility because she does not represent the KMT, Liao said.
However, Wang denied she was responsible for making public statements, but said that the investigation is on track.
Wang said she is a neutral third party involved in the investigation, and specific issues should be addressed to the KMT officials responsible.
The KMT is dealing with its asset issue in an active but cautious way and is making a re-evaluation based on Control Yuan member Huang Huang-hsiung’s (黃煌雄) report, KMT spokesperson Yang Wei-chung (楊偉中) said.
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