Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and several of her predecessors in that post yesterday met to discuss the Act Governing the Handling of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations (政黨及其附隨組織不當取得財產處理條例), saying that most of the party’s controversial assets have already been returned or donated.
Former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said it might be worth appealing to international media over what he said is an attempt by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government to ensure that another political party cannot function.
Hung, Ma, former vice president Lien Chan (連戰), Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄) and New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) met with former KMT Administration and Management Committee director Chang Che-chen (張哲琛) and former KMT Investment and Business Management Committee chairman Chang Chang-pang (張昌邦) to discuss the new law.
Hung and her predecessors said all of the party’s controversial assets had been returned or donated during their terms as head of the party, KMT Culture and Communications Committee director Chow Chi-wai (周志偉) said.
They also agreed that the KMT was in a rough patch and needs to find ways to weather the storm, Chow said.
The issue is a complex mix of history and politics, but the party must brace for the worst and be prepared to start from scratch so it can offer better services to the public, he said.
The meeting attendees agreed that difficulties must be made known to current and former KMT members and they should be made aware that the party has always looked out for them and allocated funds to ensure their wellbeing as well as the smooth running of the party, he said.
However, the party must learn to balance its budget and its procedures must be clearly planned and transparent to ensure members’ recognition and support, Chu said.
The KMT could launch fundraising events, but the DPP might try to interfere, he said.
Yesterday’s meeting was aimed at boosting the morale of KMT members and determining the party’s stance on the new law, Chow said.
The meeting participants said that the act was controversial and it should be made known to both Taiwanese and the international community.
Hung on Thursday said that according to the act, most of the National Palace Museum’s collection and the gold used to fund the development of Taiwan should be considered party assets.
According to the act, all party assets gained after Aug. 15, 1945 — with the exception of membership fees, political donations, political party subsidies from the government, election campaign donations and income from natural sources and legal transactions — are presumed illegal.
Hung said that Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) decision to move the National Palace Museum’s artifacts and gold from China to Taiwan was not made as Republic of China (ROC) president, but as KMT chairman.
That the act disregards the KMT’s contributions and focuses on what might be considered ill-gotten is wrong, Hung said, adding that the DPP has launched a witch hunt against a legal political party.
If the nation is looking to make a reckoning, the KMT will give the nation and the public the reckoning it wants, Hung said.
“We are going to go through this very carefully” and see whether the ROC owes the KMT or vice versa, she said.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said Hung was blind to the KMT’s inability distinguish the party from the nation and had embezzled national property for its benefit.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiao-kuang, Hsiao Ting-fang and Yang Yuan-ting
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