Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou is expected to officially announce his bid for chairmanship of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) today, local media said yesterday.

Ma, who previously served as KMT chairman between July 2005 and February 2007, will make the announcement at a press conference after a KMT central committee meeting, the Taipei-based United Evening News reported.

There has been increasing speculation that Ma, elected "president" of the island in March last year, will double as the KMT chairman.