Submitted by admin on Mon, 2007-04-02 08:00. ::
Former Kuomintang chairman and candidate for the 2008 presidential election Ma Ying-jeou will appeal if he is convicted in his upcoming corruption trial, Ma said yesterday.
Ma said that the nation's law forbids a candidate from running in an election after his or her appeal for a conviction has been rejected twice in the end of the legal process for the case.
The special allowance fund is a common expense account for government officials across the country which requires the official to document half of the account's expenses.
Reports have said that the Kuomintang is planning on amending its bylaws which forbid the nomination of a candidate for public office if he or she is convicted of criminal charges.
Reports have said that the KMT will forbid a candidate's nomination only after the appeal for his or her conviction is rejected twice at the end of the legal process.
Meanwhile, candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party's presidential nomination Frank Hsieh said yesterday that it is up to Ma himself whether or not to run.
Hsieh said that Ma's trouble is that he is trapped by words that he has said in the past, particularly in criticizing President Chen Shui-bian after first lady Wu Shu-chen was indicted for embezzling from the presidential office's "State Affairs Fund" last year.
DPP legislative caucus whip Ke Chien-min said that if the Kuomintang amends its bylaws to accommodate Ma Ying-jeou then even murderers and arsonists can represent the party to run for office.
"He or she must be able to create a 'one plus one is larger than two' effect, complement the main candidate, and can stand on his or her own as a deputy," Ma said.
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