Recent discussions about a possible secret deal between KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Although both the KMT and PFP denied their leaders struck a clandestine arrangement prior to their official team-up for the presidential election next year, neither party has clarified the rumor.
According to media reports, the deal states that Lien promised to allow Soong to serve as premier if Lien becomes the next head of state, and Lien would not seek another term in order to give Soong the opportunity to run for the presidency in 2008. The story also said Soong would be chairman if the two parties ultimately merge.
Soong's dominant role in recent KMT-PFP decisions to prevent the legislature from confirming the appointment of grand justice nominees and his promise to secure Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization under the "one China" framework fuelled speculation that he is overshadowing Lien's role in the election campaign. All of a sudden, Lien became the presidential candidate with no voice.
Ever since Lien and Soong announced their cooperation in February, rumors about such a backroom deal have swirled. Since Lien and Soong were both defeated in the last presidential election, the combination this time represents a marriage of convenience.
Since both parties have been trying to avoid an image of backroom politics, the rumors demonstrated that the problem of power distribution will not simply go away. Therefore, the question lies in whether a written agreement should be documented as the basis for bipartisan cooperation.
As the smaller party, PFP has been eager to broker a deal with its counterpart as a way to ensure a favorable distribution of power and resource allocation if the blue camp wins the election. This explains why the PFP has kept quiet on the contents of the deal.
Even if the leaders of both parties try to downplay the controversy, it is inevitable that conflicts between the parties' members will erupt in the coming months, and these could be the main obstacle for the Lien-Soong ticket to secure power.
For example, instead of letting his running-mate make all the noise, Lien must show stronger leadership and present his views on key issues. More-over, Lien must come up with a new vision and a concrete set of policies distinct from those of the DPP. The Lien-Soong ticket should avoid being characterized as simply a "war of revenge" or "old-man politics." What the voters crave is not old wine in new bottles but a new spirit and reform-minded determination.
Were the pan-blue camp to portray its goal in the upcoming election as a joint effort for change with a clear and workable agenda, it would never lose sight of its objective -- winning back the presidency.
Finally, Lien and Soong must prove to the electorate that their cooperation does not represent a return to corruption and "black gold" politics, but that they are as committed to reform as other presidential hopefuls. Regret-fully, the impression that voters have of the Lien-Soong ticket is that it is nothing but the pursuit of power.
The failure to solve divergent interests and create a unified party consensus, along with the inability to work out an objective for future development are detrimental to the Lien-Soong ticket and pan-blue cooperation. Unless both sides find a solution, their chances of success are minimal.
Liu Kuan-teh is a Taipei-based political commentator.
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