KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung reportedly said he would arrange work for incumbent lawmakers in the presidential campaign, and they could go on to become government administrators if the party won.

Wu’s promise was said to be made during his meeting Friday with some incumbent lawmakers who were asking the party for at-large seats in the upcoming legislative elections.

One of Wu’s major tasks is to make arrangements for about half of the incumbent KMT lawmakers who would lose their jobs after the elections, which will select members to a new Legislature only half as big as the present one.

But KMT spokesman Su Chun-pin said yesterday that Wu did not make any promises to award any individuals.

Wu was only reminding the lawmakers that having a seat in the Legislature is not be the only way to serve the country.

Former KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, a favorite in the presidential poll, said it is still too early to talk about arrangements for government posts.

“At present, the most imperative thing for the KMT is how it can win the legislative and presidential elections. Everything else is premature talk,” Ma said.

“I personally have no plans to arrange incumbent lawmakers to become administrative officials,” said the former party chief.

Daniel Hwang, head of the People First Party’s policy committee, said it is part and parcel of partisan politics to recruit party members into the government.

But he noted that Wu’s remarks were meant to placate lawmakers who face a fiercely contested primary.

The KMT yesterday kicked off the first round of voting in 10 electoral district for its legislative primary.

The voting by party members was expected to finalize the candidates for two districts in Taipei City, two in Taipei County, one in Hsinchu City, one in Taichung County, two in Taichung City, on in Changhua County and one in Tainan County.

No voting was conducted for 30 other districts, where there was only one candidate each, all of whom would win by default.

The list of nominees will be submitted to the KMT’s nomination screening committee. The KMT decision-making Central Standing Committee is expected to finalize the nominations on May 2.

In past elections, more than one lawmakers would be selected from a single district. But in the upcoming elections, only one lawmaker will be elected from each electoral district as a result of political reform.

The size of the present 225-seat Legislature will also be halved.

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