TAIWAN: POLITICS - President Ma is sworn in as KMT chairman and pledges to donate party funds to charity

Record ID: 590967

  • Title: TAIWAN: POLITICS - President Ma is sworn in as KMT chairman and pledges to donate party funds to charity
  • Date: 18th October 2009
  • Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (OCTOBER 17, 2009) (REUTERS) MA YING-JEOU SPEAKING AT PODIUM STADIUM INTERIOR
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3HDBFKPJQHLWEM24P1O25FWFN
  • Story Text: Taiwan's President Ma Ying-Jeou on Saturday (October 17) stepped in as Kuomintang (KMT) party leader, a move that many believe would help the island further ease once icy relations with Beijing.
    Last July, Ma was elected as the chairman of the KMT receiving 93.83 percent of the votes in an election where the voting rate was 56.95 percent.
    Control of the party which has been quietly meeting with mainland Communist officials since 2005, would allow Ma more access to China, including the chance to visit in a non-government role.
    China does not recognise the leadership of the Taiwan presidency, and instead prefers to have exchanges between the two sides on a political party or civilian level.
    Wu Poh-Hsiung, before stepping down, claimed that Taiwan will continue to push for an equal voice when dealing with the mainland.
    Last year, Wu led the party to win it's parliamentary and restored the party's power on the island, which later allowed Ma to become the president of Taiwan.
    China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's KMT fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary.
    KMT, which ruled Taiwan since 1949 until the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took power in 2000, has been the target of criticism for owning party-run businesses.
    "I promise, by the end of this year, we will finalise a proposal for the distribution of party's properties, and we will only retain party members' retirement and necessary amount of funds for the party to operate and develop. All the remaining funds will be donated for charity. In the future, our election fundings will only come from fund raising, and we will no longer own any businesses," said Ma in his inauguration speech.
    Ma was elected president in May 2008 on pledges to improve the island's economy by opening more trade channels with the global economic powerhouse, China, and ease tensions with Beijing.
    The two sides have signed landmark trade and transit deals during Ma's term but have avoided sensitive political issues.
    Ma said the KMT party will help promote educational and cultural exchanges with China.
    "Taiwan and China have established Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Cultural Forums and these will continue. We also invite wider participation from different areas so that we can promote a consensus on a peaceful cross-strait relation. The Kuomintang will take on a more active role on educational and cultural exchanges across the strait," said Ma.
    Local Taiwanese media has been speculating that Wu would step down from the chairmanship of the ruling Nationalist Party and make way for President Ma to reinforce his leadership.
    This would also likely make it easier for a historic visit to the mainland for Ma as he would be invited as the chairman of the ruling party.
    China, which has claimed Taiwan as its own since their split in 1949 amid civil war, has softened its policy towards the self-ruled island from pushing for unification with the threat of force to one of preventing a declaration of independence.
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