Fri, Jul 22, 2005 page8

• Editorial: Lien Chan just can't help himself

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  The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Wednesday unanimously passed a proposal to have outgoing chairman Lien Chan (連戰) serve as the party's honorary chairman after he steps down next month. Accepting the title specifically created for him, Lien said that he would be a "lifetime volunteer" for the party.

  To simplify matters, the KMT has so far not considered amending its regulations and formalizing the post. In other words, the title of honorary chairman has been presented to Lien and Lien alone -- no succeeding chairmen are likely to enjoy such an esteemed designation.

  But is Lien really fit for the title? And does the KMT really need to have an honorary chairman? In all of its history, the KMT has only had five chairmen: Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Lien. Sun was subsequently honored as the party's permanent premier, while Chiang Kai-shek was named as a permanent chief. Chiang Ching-kuo, however, did not have a special title created for him.

  Has Lien, a two-time presidential election loser, really outperformed his predecessors? The Chinese Communist Party, despite all of its dictatorial trappings and inclinations, did not have a special title created for paramount leader Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) after he handed leadership of the country to Jiang Zemin (江澤民). So for a decades-old party that has just had its first genuine, if reluctant, election for chairman, it seems odd that the post of honorary chairman should have any "honor" attached to it.

  The very fact that the title had to be made up suggests the KMT has ignored the grassroots voters who comprehensively rejected Lien's favored candidate and thus is yet to ditch its feudalist thinking -- observe the new generation of leaders scratching their heads over what to do with their vain predecessors. Worse, the creation of an honorary position may affect future party operations.

  After Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) assumes the KMT chairmanship next month, the party will have two chairmen for the first time: Ma and the "honorary" Lien.

  But let's not forget Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-ping (王金平). Holding the top post in the Legislative Yuan, Wang, despite losing to Ma, will continue to play a dominant role and throw around a lot of weight in legislative matters and party policy -- at least for now.

  Given that Lien will serve as the president of a KMT-linked think tank in addition to being honorary chairman, the question needs to be asked: Will he continue to pull the strings?

  Since cross-strait affairs will probably be one of the central concerns of Lien's think tank, who now will have the last word on cross-strait policy?

  "It's better to quit while you're ahead," as they say. Lien doesn't believe in this old slice of wisdom, and so he is not likely to reconsider accepting the honorary chairman's post. Having finally presided over something the KMT can be proud of -- a genuinely democratic party election -- Lien could have taken a graceful bow and left the stage.

  Instead, he is likely to make himself an even bigger laughingstock as the KMT struggles to transform itself into a genuinely democratic party of the present.
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