Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TAIPEI324
2006-01-27 06:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
how-toVZCZCXRO3854 PP RUEHCN DE RUEHIN #0324 0270611 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 270611Z JAN 06 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8304 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 4604 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 7583 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 7393 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU PRIORITY 1024 RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU PRIORITY 8941 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG PRIORITY 5804 RUESLE/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI PRIORITY 8344 RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG PRIORITY 4945 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 000324
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2016
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: MA MUST BE PRACTICAL
Classified By: AIT Acting Director David J. Keegan, Reason(s):
1.4 (B/D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 000324
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2016
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: MA MUST BE PRACTICAL
Classified By: AIT Acting Director David J. Keegan, Reason(s):
1.4 (B/D).
1. (C) Summary: (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou is being forced
to face political reality, according to one advisor.
Although he has insisted he is clean and deeply committed to
cleaning up KMT politics, Ma is finding he must pragmatically
maintain connections with unsavory local politicians who can
deliver needed votes. End Summary.
2. (C) KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation (NPF)
official Tsai Cheng-wen told AIT that KMT Chairman Ma,
renowned for his political integrity, is being forced by
circumstances to be pragmatic. Tsai noted that Ma, Honorary
KMT Chairman Lien Chan, and KMT LY Speaker Wang Jin-pyng
recently attended a wedding banquet hosted by notorious
gangster, convicted criminal, and independent legislator Yen
Chin-piao. According to Tsai, Ma had little choice but to
attend -- Yen is the chief power broker in Taichung County,
and he can deliver votes. Failing to attend, Tsai explained,
would be perceived as an insult, and would give the DPP an
opportunity to make political inroads in Taichung.
3. (C) Comment: Ma's decision to attend a wedding banquet
hosted by a tainted political figure reveals an aspect of
Ma's political character we first saw in the recent election
campaign: though committed to confronting the vested
interests of many of the KMT's senior leaders and root out
corruption and dirty-money politics, Ma is being forced to
sometimes deal pragmatically with unsavory politicians if it
will help the KMT win. Ma, for example, helped Hsu Tsai-li
win the December 2005 Keelung mayoral election, even though
Tsai was under investigation for profiteering and even though
SIPDIS
Ma himself had prosecuted Tsai for corruption a decade
earlier when Ma was Minister of Justice. To Ma's approbation
and relief, Hsu resigned his KMT membership when he was
charged with corruption just after winning the Keelung
mayorship. Ma, who will stump for KMT candidates in the
December 2006 Taipei-Kaohsiung mayoral races and the December
2007 legislative elections, must maneuver carefully between
his squeaky-clean image and political pragmatism. End
comment.
SHELLSMITH
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2016
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: MA MUST BE PRACTICAL
Classified By: AIT Acting Director David J. Keegan, Reason(s):
1.4 (B/D).
1. (C) Summary: (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou is being forced
to face political reality, according to one advisor.
Although he has insisted he is clean and deeply committed to
cleaning up KMT politics, Ma is finding he must pragmatically
maintain connections with unsavory local politicians who can
deliver needed votes. End Summary.
2. (C) KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation (NPF)
official Tsai Cheng-wen told AIT that KMT Chairman Ma,
renowned for his political integrity, is being forced by
circumstances to be pragmatic. Tsai noted that Ma, Honorary
KMT Chairman Lien Chan, and KMT LY Speaker Wang Jin-pyng
recently attended a wedding banquet hosted by notorious
gangster, convicted criminal, and independent legislator Yen
Chin-piao. According to Tsai, Ma had little choice but to
attend -- Yen is the chief power broker in Taichung County,
and he can deliver votes. Failing to attend, Tsai explained,
would be perceived as an insult, and would give the DPP an
opportunity to make political inroads in Taichung.
3. (C) Comment: Ma's decision to attend a wedding banquet
hosted by a tainted political figure reveals an aspect of
Ma's political character we first saw in the recent election
campaign: though committed to confronting the vested
interests of many of the KMT's senior leaders and root out
corruption and dirty-money politics, Ma is being forced to
sometimes deal pragmatically with unsavory politicians if it
will help the KMT win. Ma, for example, helped Hsu Tsai-li
win the December 2005 Keelung mayoral election, even though
Tsai was under investigation for profiteering and even though
SIPDIS
Ma himself had prosecuted Tsai for corruption a decade
earlier when Ma was Minister of Justice. To Ma's approbation
and relief, Hsu resigned his KMT membership when he was
charged with corruption just after winning the Keelung
mayorship. Ma, who will stump for KMT candidates in the
December 2006 Taipei-Kaohsiung mayoral races and the December
2007 legislative elections, must maneuver carefully between
his squeaky-clean image and political pragmatism. End
comment.
SHELLSMITH