KMT finally puts end to Soong saga

As expected, there was a unanimous decision yesterday to expel independent presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) from the KMT.

Soong responded by saying the expulsion showed just how far the party had strayed "from grass-roots opinion."

At the meeting, the chairman of the party's evaluation and disciplinary committee, Chien Wei-chang (?維31), said the party had plenty of evidence to justify Soong's dismissal.

President and KMT chairman Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), was present but remained silent throughout the review.

"Soong insisted on running his own presidential campaign, apparently ignoring the party's resolution [to nominate Lien Chan (3s戰), the party's candidate for president]," Chien said. "Moreover, Soong was attempting to take over not just the KMT and positions within the party, but he was affecting stability, both within the party and within society at large."

In facing the presidential challenge from the former provincial governor, Chien said the party had to "draw a line between the KMT and Soong.''

Hsu Li-teh (徐立德), a senior advisor to the Presidential Office and a right-hand man of Lien's, joined other KMT leaders in condemning Soong and his presidential campaign team.

"Anyone can leave the KMT if they wish to, but Soong could not. He has already served in most of the senior positions within the party," Hsu said, indicating that there was nowhere else for him to go.

"As a responsible politician Soong should not simply forget what he has said before, taking the credit while leaving the burden for those remaining," Hsu said.

"While the expulsion decision made me feel sad we were left with no alternative, particularly in light of the fact that Soong has done so many things to harm the party, while pursuing his own goals," he said.

As soon as the expulsion recommendation was approved, the party wasted no time in attacking Soong's media image.

Shortly after the party's routine press conference, the KMT began to distribute an estimated 2,000 copies of a formal notice to its local party leaders, rationalizing its position.

The KMT said it had done every-thing in its power to cooperate with Soong, but that he had failed to fulfil his basic obligations as a party member.

The party simultaneously launched several TV advertisements which attempt to undermine Soong's credibility.

The ads quote Soong as saying: "I am a member of the KMT and I will always follow the party's instructions.'' It then poses the question, "What about now?''

Meanwhile, Soong, speaking at a campaign signature drive, told supporters, "I regret that my dear party has made the expulsion based on the logic of a power struggle."

"Nowadays Taiwan shares the fruits of democracy, but my beloved party still seeks power and money, putting the needs of the people behind those of its own,'' he said.

Soong also issued a statement, saying that the punishment of expulsion was a departure from political justice and was a tool for the KMT to purge its enemies.

However, despite Soong's best efforts to defend his position, critics said his behavior was inconsistent with previous statements.

"I am curious as to how on the one hand Soong can claim that he loves the KMT, while on the other hand he keeps talking about the significance of nonpartisan government. The logic of these two statements contradict one another,'' said Julian Kuo (3?翰G), a political scientist at Soochow University.