Taiwan Today

Former Deputy Mayor of Taipei King Pu-tsung has been tapped as Kuomintang secretary-general, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou announced during a Central Standing Committee meeting Dec. 9. Meanwhile, Chan Chuen-po, who doubled as the KMT’s vice chairman and secretary-general, will remain as full-time vice chairman in order to focus on party affairs. Ma explained he has had 11 years of working relationships with both Chan and King, including two Taipei City mayoral elections, one KMT party chairman election and one presidential election, making them an invincible team. “I am hoping that the new job arrangements will bring out everyone’s strengths for the party’s reform,” he added. According to sources familiar with the matter, King, currently a visiting scholar at the Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution, will report for duty in Taiwan by Dec. 16. “There will be personnel changes within the KMT shortly after King assumes his position,” the sources said, adding that King would likely choose former Health Minister Yeh Ching-chuan as his deputy secretary-general, filling the vacancy left by Chan Chi-shean. In related news, the cabinet will undergo a minor reshuffle by Dec. 20, including changes in the ministers-without portfolio, to accommodate the latest position changes inside the ruling party. “Chairman Ma had a long discussion with Chan Chuen-po following the Dec. 5 elections for city mayors and county magistrates,” said Lee Chien-rong, director-general of the party’s Culture and Communications Committee. “Ma asked that Chan devote most of his time and energy to the KMT’s daily operations and attend the five-member executive meeting in the Presidential Office on behalf of the party every Monday,” Lee added. Lee told the media that King is expected to bring more energy to the KMT and initiate bold and creative moves to help with party reform. Lee noted that with King’s extensive experience in running election campaigns and using the Internet as a tool to promote the party’s platform, “he will be in charge of setting up overall strategies, while Chan will concentrate on coordinating with the party’s regional offices.” (LC-THN)