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EDITORIAL: SEF: Putting trouble out to pasture

No sooner had Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) secured victory in Saturday's presidential election than the Chinese-language media began to speculate on candidates for the Cabinet.

Following Ma's comments on Sunday that in order to bring about his promised thaw in cross-strait relations, he would revive the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to serve as the primary conduit for negotiations, speculation has increased on who will be appointed head, with former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) two of the names mentioned.

Lien can certainly stake a strong claim for the position for he was instrumental in forging closer ties between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) when he made his controversial "journey of peace" to China in April 2005 -- a trip that was repeated by Soong a few weeks later.

Still bitter at his presidential election defeat to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) a year earlier, Lien's trip came just one month after Beijing had passed its "Anti-Secession" Law, and he used the trip to seriously undermine the authority of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government.

Lien also played a key part in forging a shady cooperation pact that saw the two parties join forces to oppose their common enemy -- pro-independence forces in the DPP.

It would therefore be understandable if Ma chose someone like Lien or Soong: As part of the KMT's pro-China old guard, they have much more in common with Beijing's ultra-conservative officials.

This would also appear to be a smart move, especially if former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) is to be believed. Lee told a Japanese newspaper this week that the CCP does not trust Ma one little bit.

Take into account Ma's talk of an Olympic boycott last week, which was followed by an astounding attack on Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶). With Ma calling Wen's comments on Taiwan "outrageous and unreasonable, arrogant, dumb and pretentious," it is safe to say that he is not exactly the flavor of the month in Beijing.

But even so, it is difficult to imagine why Ma would want Lien or Soong to represent his government in talks with China. Lien may have been instrumental in helping the KMT and CCP kiss and make up after decades of war and hostility, and he may have been overjoyed at Ma's election, but he openly opposed Ma when he ran for the party chairmanship in 2005 and the presidency.

Add this to the fact that Ma was an abject failure as KMT chairman, failing either to reform the party, deal transparently with its assets, control the party's legislators or deal with PFP challenges to his authority, and it is hard to see how he could keep either Lien or Soong in check, especially given the KMT party hierarchy, which still allows the aged, pro-China autocrats to wield power.

But if Ma sticks to his pre-election promise not to talk about unification during his term(s), then the sovereignty issue should not be too much of an obstacle because the SEF's mandate will be strictly limited to economic affairs and issues like direct links and cultural exchanges.

In this case, the SEF might be the perfect place for Lien or Soong, as Ma could assign a trusted understudy to keep watch as he puts the old troublemakers out to pasture.
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