Vice President Lien Chan (
He could not have foreseen this result.
Meanwhile, some people are deliberately trying to stir up bad blood between Lien and President Lee Teng-hui (
As a result, he is faced with both external threats and internal turmoils.
Frankly speaking, if the situation continues, it is questionable whether Lien will ever have the courage again to express his own opinions.
Lien had hoped to play the role of an ideas man by proposing placing the KMT's assets into a trust.
He preferred to address the party's pitfalls rather than passively waiting for his opponents to launch attacks.
However, Lien aired the proposal without support or a timetable in place. As a result he left himself wide open to harsh criticism and was badly hurt as a result.
In the end he was trapped by a situation he created. Lien's luck could not possibly get worse.
In addition, when compared to other candidates, Lien simply lacks the talent for campaigning.
Other candidates are able to put on dramatic news conferences, while Lien sounds like a professor giving lectures.
Although what Lien lectures about may make a lot of sense, his listeners remain unmoved.
Anyone who has ever participated in an election knows that nothing moves voters more than those statements that not even the candidates themselves believe.
He can promise to build a bridge where there is not even a river. He can draw a beautiful portrait of the future to hang on the wall, so that you have something to hope for.
He can even solemnly say that he lives for the people of Taiwan.
These words may be no better than the sweet nothings lovers exchange, but the voters are mesmerized and take them for real.
Unfortunately, Lien lacks the ability to do the same and he does not have the genetic makeup for popular moves.
He does not sound humorous when he tells a joke.
He does not sound mean when he condemns others.
He sounds awkward when he tries to sell himself.
He is like a poker player who can screw up a great hand.
James Soong's (
But the proposal to place the KMT's party assets in a trust did not increase Lien's popularity.
As for Lien's concern that others are stirring up ill feeling between him and Lee, if Lien could communicate openly with Lee and reach a consensus that "that was then and this is now," what is there to fear?
Let's use the US as an example. Vice President Al Gore and President Bill Clinton have reached a silent consensus on four points: "I share all of your accomplishments; all of your faults have nothing to do with me; you endorse all the checks that I have issued; and I act for myself and you encourage me."
Gore's popularity has gradually improved from the slump he was in as a result of this tactic.
If Lien cannot reach a similar consensus with Lee,he must follow of all Lee's game rules and keep his mouth shut about his own opinions or he will find himself bogged down by rumors for the rest of the campaign.
If that happens, can he remain in the race?
Wang Chien-chuang is the president of The Journalist magazine.
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations