The New Party yesterday expressed support for former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), accusing the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) of distancing itself from the former KMT chairman after his most recent indictment.
The New Party is a KMT spin-off established in 1993 that advocates unification with China. It does not hold any legislative seats.
New Party spokesman Wang Ping-chung (王炳忠) said that at a time when the Democratic Progressive Party administration is using the judiciary to oppress Ma, scarcely anyone from the KMT has spoken out against political persecution.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“You [KMT members] enjoyed the largest share of the KMT’s resources in the past, but now you are hiding to avoid taking responsibility,” Wang told a news conference yesterday, adding that the KMT has apparently degenerated into the “Taiwanese Nationalist Party.”
Wang was referring to remarks by KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) at a meeting of the KMT’s Central Standing Committee on Wednesday, at which Ma was invited to explain the sale of Central Motion Picture Corp, Broadcasting Corp of China and China Television Co while he was KMT chairman in 2005 and 2006.
“We are not trying to fight a government agency, nor endorsing a specific individual,” Wu said at the time. “We are simply hoping to examine the appropriateness of Ma’s handling of the sales through a fair and objective lens.”
Wu’s statement was perceived as a departure from the KMT’s initial reaction to Ma’s indictment, when it expressed its confidence in Ma’s integrity.
Ma on Tuesday last week was charged with breach of trust and contravening the Securities and Exchange Act (證券交易法) for his alleged role in the KMT’s sale of assets in 2005 and 2006, including the three companies.
The two people who managed the KMT’s finances used an elaborate financial scheme, which Ma approved, that enabled the party to sell the media companies and other assets at below market prices, which caused the KMT to lose NT$7.29 billion (US$237.34 million at the current exchange rate), the indictment said.
New Party youth wing executive Hou Han-ting (侯漢廷) said that the indictment was riddled with problems and based on trumped-up charges, including allegations that Ma sold the companies to avoid them being returned to the government.
“How could Ma have predicted the establishment of the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee?” Hou asked.
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