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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Hung Hsiu-chu’s donation aimed at inspiring flood
Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu, center, holds up a NT$200,000 donation to the party at a KMT fundraising event in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA
By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu （洪秀柱） yesterday paid a “special party fee” of NT$200,000 （US$6,313） amid the party’s paycheck conundrum, in an effort to encourage other KMT members to follow suit and help assuage the party’s financial difficulties.
Accompanied by a number of top-ranking KMT officials, Hung arrived at the party’s headquarters in Taipei yesterday morning against a backdrop of cheering supporters.
“I have always said that it is up to us to save our party. If I do not lead by example, how can I ask other party members to join me in my effort to save the KMT from peril?” Hung said.
Hung said it is okay for her to give NT$200,000 to the party because she is single, urging KMT members to weigh their financial situations before deciding how much they should pay.
Hung’s payment marked the beginning of two KMT fundraising initiatives, one of which urges party members to pay a “special party fee” of at least NT$2,000, while the other encourages them to give a smaller donation of NT$1,000 to the party.
The schemes were unveiled by the KMT last week, after the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee froze the party’s main bank account late last month over the issuance of 10 cashier’s checks worth a collective NT$520 million, forcing the party to delay paying salaries.
Pledging to do whatever she could to solve the party’s salary dilemma, Hung said she has been deeply concerned about the issue and has even sought to take out loans in her own name.
Regarding the criticism of some KMT employees that the fundraising schemes are the party’s way of seeking “mandatory donations” from party members, Hung said that “if even the KMT’s own members are reluctant to contribute, how can the public be expected to make donations?”
“The ‘special party fee’ scheme is just a one time thing and it is not compulsory. In light of the predicaments facing the party, it is even more necessary for party members to work together,” Hung said.
KMT Vice Chairman Steve Chan （詹啟賢） later donated NT$100,000, with other high-level KMT officials, including KMT Secretary-General Mo Tien-hu （莫天虎）, KMT Central Policy Committee director Alex Tsai （蔡正元） and KMT Administration and Management Committee director Chiu Da-chan （邱大展）, also digging into their pockets.
KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin （郝龍斌） only paid NT$2,000 at the event, but he later pledged to donate NT$100,000 after learning how much Chan gave.
In related news, former president and KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou （馬英九） last night hosted a dinner for senior party members and former vice chairmen who served in his administration for a discussion on ideas to alleviate the party’s predicament.
Additional reporting by staff writer
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
