The fallout of the presidential election demonstrates a strange phenomenon. It's as if President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) has been pressed to the bottom of a water tank and nearly choked. However, others have ridden the rising water caused by Lee's sinking weight.
Everyone except Lee is joyful. Even Vice President Lien Chan (連戰) who lost the election still has the support of young KMT officials and has taken over the chairmanship.
Despite his defeat, James Soong's (宋楚瑜) political power seems to be growing, nor have the core figures in the Soong camp been saddened by his defeat, because it seems that they are getting closer to power. Former Legislative Yuan speaker Liu Sung-fan (劉松藩), embroiled in a financial scandal, was restless before the election because he was worried he might go to jail if Soong lost. Now, Liu does not have to worry about being jailed: He is the convener of the preparatory committee for Soong's new party. Liu may well lead the party's legislators.
During the election, the anti-corruption voice was encouraged by Academia Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh (
Now, "black gold" elements are fighting back.
The New Taiwan Political Alliance (
Taichung County Council Speaker CB Yen (顏清標), known for his gangster reputation, attended a meeting to discuss the Alliance's future. When Lee saw Yen beside Soong at election rallies, he voiced calls against "black gold." As a result, the legislators in Yen's favor may oppose Lee's appointment as premier.
The KMT is half-collapsed, but its corruption remains intact. Soong once claimed that it was the high-level KMT officials -- not the local ones -- that should take the blame for "black gold" politics. Soong's appeasement of black gold elements may help him absorb their support and attract the pro-unification New Party and some old bureaucrats to his camp.
The KMT's split has resulted in the defeat of Lien and Soong. Both of them are talking about reform. But the fact is that those who are talking most about reform are the ones who need reforming the most. For the Taiwanese, the KMT's anti-democratic ways fave nothing to do with eliminating "black gold."
Chen Ro-jinn is a freelance writer.
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