Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TAIPEI2536
2006-07-27 09:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
KMT FIGHTS CORRUPTION BY LOCALIZING CENTRAL
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C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 002536
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2021
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: KMT FIGHTS CORRUPTION BY LOCALIZING CENTRAL
STANDING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS
REF: TAIPEI 02495
Classified By: Director Stephen M. Young, Reason(s): 1.4 (B/D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 002536
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2021
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: KMT FIGHTS CORRUPTION BY LOCALIZING CENTRAL
STANDING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS
REF: TAIPEI 02495
Classified By: Director Stephen M. Young, Reason(s): 1.4 (B/D).
1. (C) Summary. The KMT, in a break from previous practice,
will not hold a Taipei convention to conduct this weekend's
election of Central Standing Committee (CSC) members, a party
official told AIT. Instead, the electors will cast ballots
at their respective local party headquarters. KMT Chairman
Ma Ying-jeou, who announced the change last year, hopes the
dispersed voting will reduce vote-buying and improve the
image of the party. Because the CSC elections traditionally
favor incumbents and well-known legislators, the new voting
method is not expected to have much effect on the composition
of the CSC. End Summary.
2. (C) Kuomintang (KMT) Organizational Director Liao Feng-te
recently discussed the upcoming KMT Central Standing
Committee (CSC) election, scheduled for July 29, with AIT.
(Note: The KMT currently has 210 Central Committee members,
all of whom are eligible to run in the election. The 31
members of the Central Standing Committee will be chosen from
the 210 Central Committee members by 1,532 party delegates.
The newly-elected CSC members will serve one-year terms. End
note.) Traditionally, Liao said, party delegates cast their
votes during a convention in Taipei. With all the delegates
concentrated in one place, the convention fostered
vote-buying. Candidates would host expensive dinners for
delegates and give lavish gifts in exchange for votes. The
media invariably portrayed these "campaign events" as
examples of KMT corruption and cronyism. In an attempt to
curtail vote-buying, and to reduce the chances of bad
publicity, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou announced last year that
party delegates would no longer convene in Taipei to cast
their ballots, and instead would vote at their respective
local KMT headquarters, located around the island.
3. (C) According to Liao, the new "local voting" rules also
forbid Central Committee members from attending hosted
dinners or receiving gifts, or from participating in
non-party sponsored meetings. At Ma's instruction, Liao
said, senior party leaders have also actively discouraged
those with serious public image problems from standing for
election to the CSC.
4. (C) Liao admitted that the new local voting procedure was
unlikely to entirely eliminate vote-buying, noting that where
there is a will, there is always a way. In addition, there
will be no way to regulate possible vote swapping or quid pro
quo arrangements. However, the switch to "local voting"
should reduce criticism from the press and the Pan-Greens
that KMT party elections are tainted by vote-buying. Liao
also noted that by canceling the convention, the KMT and its
members will save a significant amount of money.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) This move towards "local voting" is the latest in a
series of measures promoted by Ma to reform and improve the
image of the KMT. While the changes are likely to reduce the
most conspicuous forms of vote-buying, they will have only
limited effect on the composition of the Central Standing
Committee itself. Post will report on this issue septel
after the election.
6. (U) Note: This cable was drafted by Political Intern
Eugene Chen.
YOUNG
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2021
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: KMT FIGHTS CORRUPTION BY LOCALIZING CENTRAL
STANDING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS
REF: TAIPEI 02495
Classified By: Director Stephen M. Young, Reason(s): 1.4 (B/D).
1. (C) Summary. The KMT, in a break from previous practice,
will not hold a Taipei convention to conduct this weekend's
election of Central Standing Committee (CSC) members, a party
official told AIT. Instead, the electors will cast ballots
at their respective local party headquarters. KMT Chairman
Ma Ying-jeou, who announced the change last year, hopes the
dispersed voting will reduce vote-buying and improve the
image of the party. Because the CSC elections traditionally
favor incumbents and well-known legislators, the new voting
method is not expected to have much effect on the composition
of the CSC. End Summary.
2. (C) Kuomintang (KMT) Organizational Director Liao Feng-te
recently discussed the upcoming KMT Central Standing
Committee (CSC) election, scheduled for July 29, with AIT.
(Note: The KMT currently has 210 Central Committee members,
all of whom are eligible to run in the election. The 31
members of the Central Standing Committee will be chosen from
the 210 Central Committee members by 1,532 party delegates.
The newly-elected CSC members will serve one-year terms. End
note.) Traditionally, Liao said, party delegates cast their
votes during a convention in Taipei. With all the delegates
concentrated in one place, the convention fostered
vote-buying. Candidates would host expensive dinners for
delegates and give lavish gifts in exchange for votes. The
media invariably portrayed these "campaign events" as
examples of KMT corruption and cronyism. In an attempt to
curtail vote-buying, and to reduce the chances of bad
publicity, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou announced last year that
party delegates would no longer convene in Taipei to cast
their ballots, and instead would vote at their respective
local KMT headquarters, located around the island.
3. (C) According to Liao, the new "local voting" rules also
forbid Central Committee members from attending hosted
dinners or receiving gifts, or from participating in
non-party sponsored meetings. At Ma's instruction, Liao
said, senior party leaders have also actively discouraged
those with serious public image problems from standing for
election to the CSC.
4. (C) Liao admitted that the new local voting procedure was
unlikely to entirely eliminate vote-buying, noting that where
there is a will, there is always a way. In addition, there
will be no way to regulate possible vote swapping or quid pro
quo arrangements. However, the switch to "local voting"
should reduce criticism from the press and the Pan-Greens
that KMT party elections are tainted by vote-buying. Liao
also noted that by canceling the convention, the KMT and its
members will save a significant amount of money.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) This move towards "local voting" is the latest in a
series of measures promoted by Ma to reform and improve the
image of the KMT. While the changes are likely to reduce the
most conspicuous forms of vote-buying, they will have only
limited effect on the composition of the Central Standing
Committee itself. Post will report on this issue septel
after the election.
6. (U) Note: This cable was drafted by Political Intern
Eugene Chen.
YOUNG