《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 KMT officials urge asset review

CHORUS OF CURIOSITY: New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu heard endorsements for an inventory of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s financial and real-estate assets

A number of Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） legislators have called on New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu （朱立倫）, the sole candidate for the KMT chairmanship, to release information on party assets — and to clear all assets if needed — to alleviate what they describe as pressure on grassroots-level members who they say bear the “heat and burden” of party asset controversies.

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The legislators made the remarks following comments by Chu on Saturday, when he said that the party should be more transparent and open in the future.

KMT Legislator Chi Kuo-tung （紀國棟） said that former KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien （連勝文） lost in the Nov. 29 elections because he was perceived as a “KMT princeling” and because of the party’s asset issues.

The burdens were such that no individual could shoulder them, Chi said, adding that while he believed Chu would handle the party asset problem: “If the steps taken are not sufficient, the public will still be dissatisfied and find problems with the issue.”

Other KMT legislators, including Wang Hui-mei （王惠美）, Yang Li-huan （楊麗環）, Lin Kuo-tung （林國棟） and Yang Chung-ying （楊瓊瓔）, voiced their concerns, saying that any party asset that is controversial or had been obtained illegally should be offloaded or returned to the state.

Wang added that the assets were too much of a burden for legislators, saying they were often criticized for the issue by their opponents during last year’s campaign period, even though they have not benefited from the party’s assets.

Yang Li-huan said Chu should compile a general inventory of party assets, disposing of any controversial or illegally obtained properties, but keeping any holdings that the party has obtained with its own money.

Yang Chung-ying said Chu has a responsibility to the public and must clear up any questions about the assets, adding that if they were illegally obtained, they must be returned to the state and to the public.

The party assets figures as reported by the KMT’s Central Standing Committee are very different from the rumors spreading among the public, KMT Legislator Liao Kuo-tung （廖國棟） said.

KMT legislators Wu Yu-jen （吳育仁） and Hsieh Kuo-liang （謝國樑） urged the party to make known what exactly the party owns, with Wu adding that many KMT members remain curious about the party’s holdings, and that an inventory and financial records would answer questions and alleviate worries.

Making the party’s holdings more transparent reflects political trends and could play a great role in reducing unnecessary guesses and worry, KMT Legislator Wang Yu-min （王育敏） said, while KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei （羅淑蕾） added that the party publishing an inventory of assets and how they were obtained would be a more official way for it to inform the public.

KMT Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang （呂學樟） urged for the draft political parties act （政黨法） to be passed as soon as possible, or that legislators should at least strictly bar political parties from owning businesses and clearly define what is considered a “party asset.”

KMT Legislator Lee Kuei-min （李貴敏） said that what is illegal or improper should be defined first, setting the foundation for a later investigation and potential disposition of party assets.

However, KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng （吳育昇） said that there is no problem with party assets, adding that judicial action taken under former president Chen Shui-bian’s （陳水扁） administration had to a great extent revealed the extent of assets and the party had already returned properties that belonged to the state.

Properties that did not belong to the state are neither improper nor illegal, Wu Yu-sheng added.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES