Taipei, Dec. 16 (CNA) Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou on Wednesday swore in his long-time trusted adviser to a leading post as secretary-general of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, in a move widely seen as an attempt by Ma to gear up for reelection in 2012.
King Pu-tsung, considered the brains behind Ma's successful presidential campaign which helped him get elected in 2008, flew back to Taiwan Wednesday, cutting short his visiting scholar post in the United States, and was sworn in almost immediately as the KMT's new secretary general.
He gave few clues about what his top priorities are on his first day on the job, but promised to "less talk and more action" and carry out various party reform plans that are underway, saying he will be the one who is responsible for reforming the 115-year-old party.
"My job is the (KMT's) chief executive officer, therefore I am the one to be held accountable if things fail, " the close confidant of Ma said in the first press conference he gave after assuming office.
Ma has been keen to rid the party of corruption and clean up its image, but observers said that would not be the only reason the president sought King's help.
King's appointment comes just days after Ma's ruling party suffered a setback in the Dec. 5 county and city elections, winning a smaller percentage of overall votes than it did in local elections four years ago. The election results were widely seen as a warning to the party, especially with the presidential race just two years away.
King served as the main campaign manager in Ma's two mayoral elections and the 2008 presidential election. He was lured back to Taiwan halfway through his visiting scholar program with the Washington-based Brookings Institution.
His main tasks now are believed to be helping the ruling party win four upcoming elections in the next 12 months, reversing the party's long standing culture of vote-buying and handling its assets.
King said all of these tasks will not be easy, and he will not be able to do it alone without teamwork.
Nicknamed "the Switchblade, " and "loner" King, an avid Triathlon runner, has built a reputation in Taiwanese politics over the years as someone who is good at political maneuvering.
But King presented a different image at the press conference Wednesday. He said that if he could be good at one thing, he wants to change the polarization in Taiwanese politics and make the KMT's battle with the opposition Democratic Progressive party (DPP) "a healthy competition".
He also envisioned the party being "accepted and embraced" by younger generations of Taiwanese people.
"I want to make the KMT a better party," King said.
King told the media his first move will be visiting local counties and cities, especially those the KMT had lost in previous elections and the ones which will hold legislative by-elections next month.
He did not rule out the possibility of carrying out a personnel reshuffle in the KMT, saying that "of course we'll make personnel changes."
Whatever he does, he is expected to enjoy the backing of the president, who also serves as the KMT's chairman and handpicked King as his right hand man.
With King's help, Ma has never lost an election.
Now, many political analysts and ordinary Taiwanese people will be watching to see if King can again deliver an election victory for the president, whose approval ratings have taken a beating from the recession, public criticisms over his administration's handling of Typhoon Morakot, and criticisms over his proposed free-trade agreement with China.