If the pan-blue zealots are going to continue to accuse President Chen Shui-bian (
If the pan-blues are going to vaguely accuse Chen of "dirty tricks" and "betraying democracy," I would like to point out that most of my Taiwanese friends have in fact witnessed vote-buying in this election. I have heard of NT$500 gifts for attending Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rallies, offers of free food for KMT votes -- and one friend, who was a pan-blue supporter, explaining how shocked she was when a KMT representative arrived at her company to deliver NT$120,000 to the general manager, money explicitly in exchange for votes.
No wonder KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
I don't need to back up my claims, so I will continue.
The second part of my conspiracy theory is simply that Lien and Soong are trying to ride the collapsing crest of a coup attempt. Had they managed to sustain chaos in the streets and retained their moderate supporters, they seem to have been hoping for a "people's coup," while they waited in the wings to "restore order" by popular demand in the stead of a weakened president, thus saving the country. This would explain Lien and Soong's changing demands and accusations as well as the mixed messages coming from the thuggish legislators on the street. If they can fan the flames the fire may spread.
They may also be jealous of Chen's clean image and after four years of looking for scandal behind every corner, the pan-blues could not wait for Chen any longer.
Although my conspiracies are not as elaborate or dramatic as those proposed by Lien and Soong, they may be more plausible. After seeing how willingly some voters believe everything they hear, I know a bridge in Pingtung that's for sale.
A.D. Kerslake
Seattle, Washington
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