Ma Ying-jeou: Indicted, resigned as chairman, running for President

馬英九：請辭黨主席 宣布參選2008
　

（中央社記者林沂鋒台北十三日電）前台北市長馬英九特別費案偵結，馬英九遭起訴。他今天傍晚召開記者會，強調自己被起訴「痛心疾首」，雖尊重司法，但無法接受檢察官的指控，他宣布辭去國民黨主席一職，也會為自己清白奮戰到底，同時參選二００八總統。

Ma Ying-jeou indicted for corruption (Taipei Times)

6.10PM: Protesting his innocence, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) leader announced his resignation as party chairman today after being accused of embezzling NT$11 million (US$333,000). He said, however, that he would contest the 2008 presidential election. Full story at 10:30pm Taiwan time (1430GMT).

The main thing to wait for now is to let the KMT amend it's rules so Ma can run for them; to see what rival Wang Jin-pying will say; and to see the actual results of the coming trial.

If I were running a campaign against Ma, I would focus on KMT party property (黨產), His cross-strait policy/position/identity, and this corruption.

Update: The KMT central committee has declined Ma's resignation. That leaves him the chairman for now! Then didn't convince him to stay on, but they tried.

Update 2: The KMT has ammended party regulations (that Ma passed! ha!) which would have prevented him from running because of the corruption suit. Ma now has a free ride to at least try for the party primary.