Ma sorry for KMT loss

King Pu-tsung, Ma's deputy during his Taipei mayoral stint, will be the KMT's new secretary-general, party spokesman Lee Chien-jung said. The appointment of King, widely considered the president's most trusted ally, is seen as part of Ma's maneuver for post-election damage-control and for next year's votes in the five special municipalities, including Taipei City.

In a meeting of the party's decision makers, Ma accepted full blame for the KMT's “less than ideal” showing in last Saturday's local elections. Ma, who doubles as the KMT chairman, also apologized for the alleged involvement of some party candidates in vote-buying and violence.

The KMT kept 12 of the 17 local governments up for grabs, but lost two key counties amid a sharp drop in overall vote share. The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party gained control of one more local administration after seeing a comfortable win in Yilan, which it had lost to the KMT four years ago.

The KMT suffered an embarrassing defeat in Hualien, where an expelled party member won in a landslide to end the ruling party's long control in the eastern county. The setback is compromising not only the KMT's chances in next year's elections, but also Ma's re-election bid.

Ma is placing his confidant in a key position to help him devise plans for the coming elections, as well as running the party's day-to-day affairs. Earlier speculation said Ma would appoint him as secretary-general of the Presidential Office.

The former Taipei deputy mayor is a low-profile scholar who has never really committed to politics. Earlier this year, he agreed to lead Next Media's project to establish satellite TV channels. But he later backed out and went to the Brookings Institution, a U.S. think tank, as a visiting scholar. The KMT spokesman said King will return to Taipei to take up his new post in the next few days.

But political observers are questioning whether King is the right man. KMT Legislator Chiu Yi described King as the very person that Ma should stay away from if he was to reform the party.

His KMT colleague, Chang Hsien-yao, said the problems facing the party cannot be solved by “only one man.”

The United Evening News cited some KMT lawmakers as describing King's appointment as “asking the devil for a cure.” But Ma stressed that the KMT suffered the setback not because its reform was heading towards a wrong direction. He blamed it on the economic recession that shot up the unemployment rate and shrank the people's incomes.

King will take over from Chan Chun-po, who is also a KMT vice-chairman. Chan will retain his position as vice-chairman, Lee said.

Lee announced the party's personnel reshuffle decision after the first meeting of the KMT's decision-making Central Standing Committee since last Saturday's local elections.

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