Editorial: It's time to let go, Chairman Lien

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is staging a splendid imperial-style spectacle. KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) is pretending that he has no desire for another term as party chairman, while 22 of the party's Central Standing Committee members have signed a petition "begging" him to serve another term. And low and behold, a number of elderly supporters wearing caps emblazoned with the words "support Lien to save the nation" appeared at the party's headquarters yesterday and got down on their knees to beg Lien to stay on.

Similar charades from imperial times can be read in history textbooks. After a power struggle, the victor would say that "the support of so many people left him no choice but to take the throne." It was a hackneyed ploy even back then, but Lien has never been one to avoid a cliche.

It's time to say enough is enough and put an end to this soap opera, this comedy of horrors. By putting on such an outmoded spectacle, the KMT has once again demonstrated that it is out of touch with reality and with the democratic era.

Of course, pan-green camp supporters should be delighted, for if Lien stays as chairman, he will certainly try to be the KMT's presidential contender in the 2008 election. That would basically guarantee a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) victory, regardless of who its candidate is. The reason for this is simple: By staying on as chairman, Lien will block the democratization of the KMT and the transfer of power to the next generation. All the pan-green camp needs to do is stand by and watch the KMT fall apart.

Pan-blue supporters shouldn't pin their hopes on Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平). His political style has always been to avoid controversy, so he's supporting Lien. Wang is a good example of the slavish mentality of KMT hacks. It is frightening to think of him as a president having to deal in person with Chinese politicians. Could this yes-man really lead the country in the face of Beijing's threats and inducements?

However, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the KMT's poster boy, is behaving uncharacteristically. Ma is usually a fierce competitor with Wang in bootlicking contests, but now he's at a crossroads in his political career. He has shed his unctuous demeanor and boldly staked his claim to succeed Lien. This was so shocking that when Ma refused to back down on running for election as Lien prevaricated, sycophantic Lien supporters suggested that Ma was seeking Lien's ouster.

This response clearly shows how far the KMT has to go in learning the ways of democracy. A choice of candidates is standard in democratic elections, but as soon as Ma challenged Lien, he was accused of splitting the party. With that kind of mentality, no wonder the KMT has long behaved as though national elections risk splitting the nation.

While many pan-greens and others would applaud the idea of Lien, as captain, going down with his ship as the KMT sheds employees and hemorrhages money, such a drawn-out death scene would be hard to stomach. Does Taiwan really need another four years of Lien's spoiled-brat sulks and "one true king" pretensions? For the sake of the nation's democracy, Lien should step down to allow for the restructuring and democratization of the KMT and for multi-party politics to flourish.