Taiwans Ma Backed For Presidency Amid Graft Trial

A former mayor of Taiwans capital on trial for corruption will be the main opposition National Partys nominee for presidental elections.

A former mayor of Taiwan's capital on trial for corruption will be the main opposition National Party's nominee for the 2008 presidential election, a party official said on Monday.

Ma Ying-jeou, 56, once known for his clean image, was charged in February with moving Taipei city money into his personal bank account. He has denied the charges.

Ma, still widely popular, was the only big-name party member to meet an application deadline last week, said party spokesman Su Jun-pin.

Parliament speaker Wang Jin-pyng was considered the only other possible serious contender to replace Chen Shui-bian, limits, but Wang announced last week he would not run.

"You can pretty much say (Ma) is the nominee," Su said.

Independence-leaning Chen faces financial scandals involving his wife, son-in-law and former aides. Chen must step down next year due to term limits.

The Nationalist Part, or KMT, which once ruled all of China, lost the Taiwan presidency in 2000 for the first time in the party's history. Chen's Democratic Progressive Party is choosing among four major candidates for its presidential nomination.

Ma is widely known in Taiwan -- and in China -- for his conciliatory stance on reunification.

China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing has vowed to bring the democracy of 23 million people back under mainland rule, by force if necessary.