Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
After Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Siew has an impressive list of credentials. He was former KMT chairman Lien Chan's (
He also has a strong background in finance, economics and international affairs. All these qualifications make Siew a "qualified" candidate.
Siew is also an ethnic Taiwanese from Chiayi, which could help strengthen Ma's support in the south and dispel the image that the KMT is a party of Mainlanders, including its presidential candidate himself.
These qualities notwithstanding, the biggest question of all is -- if Siew wasn't able to help Lien win in the 2000 presidential election, what makes the KMT and Ma think he would be able to do so this time?
Is the KMT simply betting on voter dissatisfaction after eight years of Democratic Progressive Party rule under President Chen Shui-bian (
Just like Lien, Siew's main problem is a lack of personal charisma.
Elections are not his strong point. He is at heart a civil servant and a technocrat.
The only real big election Siew has run in was the 2000 presidential election. While he was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1996, it was as a legislator of Chiayi city for the KMT. Consequently it is doubtful how connected Siew is and how much weight he carries in political circles in southern Taiwan.
Then add the fact that Siew has been pretty much marginalized from the KMT center for years. Given that Ma is no longer the party chairman, it is vital that he has a running mate who is able to pool and integrate support and resources within the party -- someone like Wang.
Ma's nomination -- despite his indictment for alleged misuse of his allowance during his tenure as Taipei mayor -- has aroused some grumbling within the party.
It would have been good if Ma's running mate is someone who can smooth out this dissent.
Settling for Siew after being rejected by Wang shows a very serious succession problem within the KMT. Both Siew and Wang belong to Lien's generation. While selecting Wang would not alleviate the problem of succession, the legislative speaker has at least remained politically active and still carries a lot of political clout. In contrast, Siew -- long alienated from politics -- does not offer the same practical advantages.
Choosing Siew only goes to show that there is not one among the KMT's younger generation qualified to team up with Ma. Where are the KMT's political stars in the post-Ma era?
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