Amid an investigation into alleged misuse of the mayoral special allowance fund by Taipei Mayor and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), talk has picked up of former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) replacing Ma on the 2008 presidential ticket. If the KMT backs Lien for a third run, this decision to turn back the clock would be a negative move.
Since taking over as KMT chairman a year ago, Ma's obsession with clean governance has appeared incompatible with the nature of the KMT and caused resistance within the party. He lacks a diplomatic touch, making it difficult for him to bridge rifts in his relations with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Lien. Over the past year, Ma has yet to realize most of his promised reforms and now his image has been further tarnished by the recent scandal.
But even if Ma has faltered, why Lien? His neighborly "ice-breaking" trips to China notwithstanding, what has he done to remake the KMT? Nothing. Even Lien's boast that he could convince China to buy 2,000 tonnes of surplus Taiwanese bananas proved a gross exaggeration. But luckily for the KMT, its ineptitude has been overshadowed by the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) scandals.
If the majority of KMT members believe Ma isn't fit to continue leading the party, they should recall him according to party procedures. They should elect Lien as chairman instead of transferring power through shady deals. More than 40 years of KMT rule fostered a system in which seniority and rank were more important than ability, and officials simply waited for positions to fall into their lap. Young politicians squandered most of their time and energy pandering to their superiors and squeezing out competitors instead of working on things that mattered and earning public trust.
Lien represents an era of power struggles superceding national interests. This is very different from the DPP's style, which emphasizes that whoever wins votes wields power, and so encourages members to fight for support outside the party. This is why President Chen Shui-bian (
The KMT finally has a relatively young leader, although at 57 he's not really all that young. But with Ma facing trouble over his administrative negligence, the KMT has not responded by searching the party ranks for a capable leader from the younger generation. Instead, it is considering whether to pull Lien out of the recycling bin to represent the party in the 2008 presidential race. But as the KMT is not lacking in young talent, Lien's potential nomination only indicates that the party discounts the wisdom of voters, who have already rejected him twice in presidential elections.
Video footage of Houzaimen Elementary School students in China's Shaanxi Province chanting "Grandpa Lien, you're finally back!" during Lien's visit to China in May last year became Taiwan's most popular comedy clip. But the same chant in the KMT would be a horror movie. If Ma is not suitable to run for the presidency in 2008, then Lien is even more unsuitable, unless you are a DPP strategist. At least Wang would be a breath of fresh air.
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
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