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The KMT still has a long way to go

On March 24, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) was officially elected in the "100-year-old shop's" very first direct election for chairman. Surprisingly, the turnout rate was almost 60 percent and Lien garnered 97.09 percent of the votes cast, bringing some joy to the KMT, which has been dispirited ever since its defeat in last year's presidential election.

The question of whether the KMT can be reborn through its internal reforms after losing power to the DPP will certainly have a significant bearing on the future of politics in Taiwan. In the past year, however, the KMT's reforms have failed to impress the public and its support rate and image have not improved either. Although recent opinion polls show that people's satisfaction with the government's performance has dropped to a new low, the KMT's support rate is still the lowest of all the major parties. Public dissatisfaction with the DPP has not benefited the KMT.

Lien came up with a beautiful slogan in his recent campaign ad: "The KMT has to make a good showing so that the hard times can pass." But the question of how the people will judge the KMT's reform attempts will soon be answered in the year-end elections.

We all know that "black gold"politics are the KMT's biggest burden. If the party wants to boost its support, it must apply the right remedy to the disease and should no longer be overcautious and indecisive.

Following the election for chairman, the KMT's most important task is to successfully carry out its party primaries. The KMT must first prove to the public that these primaries are for real and that the case of Deputy Secretary-General Jason Hu (胡志強) -- who registered as a candidate for both Taipei County Commissioner and Taichung City Mayor under pressure from KMT officials -- will never be repeated.

Second, the KMT should insist on compliance with Article 9, or the so-called "anti-black gold" article, of the party's regulations for nomination of candidates for public office. There should be no room for compromise.

Third, the KMT must ensure that if vote-buying is discovered during the primaries, those candidates who buy votes should not be pardoned nor shown leniency.

Only by showing its determination to have clean primaries can the KMT be reborn and present a fresh, new look to the people of Taiwan. Will the party be reborn from the ashes, or will it continue to drink from the poisoned chalice and embrace black gold? That is the KMT's real challenge after its election for chairman.

Wang Yeh-lih is chairman of the department of political science at Tunghai University.

Translated by Eddy Chang
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