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Letter: It's all in the ego

It is less than a year until the presidential election and contrary to popular belief, it is no longer a guarantee that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will regain the presidency. That's because Taiwan's largest opposition party is clearly in crisis.

Over the past few years former KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has been widely tipped as a near certainty to become president after Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). Yet his indictment on corruption charges has now cast doubts on his integrity and his chances of replacing Chen. Adding to the KMT's woes is the split in the party, where a significant percentage of its supporters would prefer Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to represent the party as its presidential candidate.

But the biggest failure of the KMT stems from the fact that many members have actually asked former chairman Lien Chan (連戰) to return to the helm, and some have actually considered the possibility of a Lien-Ma presidential ticket to solve the internal strife. That clearly spells the root of the KMT's problems.

Lien is 71 years old this year, and to ask him to lead the party and possibly stand as its presidential candidate once again clearly shows that there is no succession plan within the party.

Lien and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), then aged 62, should not have contested the presidency in 2004. Had the two old leaders allowed their egos to take a back seat and nominated a Wang-Ma ticket in 2004, the pan-blue camp would not have faced the leadership crisis it faces today.

In contrast, there is no shortage of leaders in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The four party heavyweights have indicated their interest in seeking the party's nomination for the presidency. What is noteworthy is that they are all younger than Lien or Soong was in 2004. Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) is 60 this year, former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) is 61, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) is 63 and DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun is 59.

More significantly, all four have vowed to accept the party's nominated candidate, and not to seek the presidency as an independent. On the contrary, neither Wang or Ma has made a similar declaration. That is another difference between the DPP and the KMT.

Politics cannot be just about ego, a quality which Ma clearly holds dear in his mind. When prosecutors indicted him on corruption charges last month, Ma immediately announced his presidential bid. His actions have forced both the KMT and Wang into a bottomless pit, and have thrown up many unanswered questions. What will happen if Ma is named as the KMT's candidate but is then convicted for corruption? If that happens before the presidential election, the KMT can always name a new candidate. But how will voters and KMT supporters take to the party's second choice?

And if Ma is convicted after the election (assuming he wins), how will that affect the KMT and the nation's leadership?

Ma clearly knows his popularity outweighs that of Wang's, hence his decision to throw his hat into the ring the moment he was indicted.

But what he fails to realize is that, with a possible split in the pan-blue camp (with Wang possibly running as an independent), he could well see his ambition of ascending the presidential throne dashed. As charismatic as Ma is, his ego will cost him the presidency. That said, from Soong to Lien, and now to Ma, the KMT's biggest flaw has always been the ego issue.

But credit to the DPP; its political approach and behavior could well achieve success next March.

Jason Lee Boon Hong
Singapore
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