Lee is TSU's brightest star

The one-man band that is Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) rolled through southern Taiwan this weekend, trumpeting the virtues of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) and flashing supporters his patented, high-wattage smile.

At campaign stops from Kao-hsiung to Pingtung to Tainan, the former president sung the praises of the TSU and warned Taiwanese to be wary of parties that want to sidle up to Beijing.

The events drew tens of thou-sands of cheering supporters, giving the newly formed TSU a much-needed shot in the arm.

But Lee's popularity also showed just how the weak the TSU is without him.

Political watchers say that the new group -- just like the People First Party, led by the charismatic James Soong (宋楚瑜) -- is a "one-man political party."

Star of the show

Despite the rain, thousands turned out for fund-raising dinners in Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Tainan Counties. At each event, more than 400 tables were needed to seat all of Lee's supporters.

The cult of personality has also been extended to a variety of products such as stationery with Lee's photos on them, which are being sold to raise campaign funds.

But Lee is more than just a fund-raiser, as he also possesses years of political wisdom which he imparts upon the 40 TSU legislative candidates under his tutelage.

"Even when Lee has just a few minutes free, he coaches the party's candidates one by one on how to talk in the campaign vernacular and formulate campaign strategy according to the individual constituency's needs," said Su Ching-chiang (蘇進強), TSU secretary-general.

Analysts note Lee's body language on stage and his frequent use of Taiwanese slang to endear himself to the public. They say the former president has a knack for explaining complicated political and economic issues in simple terms, which goes a long way in winning the minds of grass-roots supporters.

When it comes to matters of substance rather than style, Lee wants to make it clear just exactly who he thinks is responsible for the nation's problems.

According to former DPP National Assembly delegate and TSU candidate, Yuan Chiu Kuo-chang (邱國昌), in Lee's mind "the major reason Taiwan's economy is in disarray ... is the irrational boycott by the opposition parties" of the DPP government.

Attacking opposition

But Lee has also made himself an issue in the year-end campaign by attacking the opposition parties.

"By lashing out at the opposition parties and government and accusing the media of ... deceiving the public, he makes himself the very focus of the campaign," said Cheng Cheng-yu (鄭正煜), a representative for the Southern Taiwan Society. "It is as though this was the presidential election."

Cheng also said that this weekend's events showed that the "Lee Teng-hui complex" -- the idea that Lee is infallible because he's the nation's first Taiwanese president -- lives on.

"In his 12 years in power, Lee Teng-hui oversaw Taiwan's democratic reforms in accordance with the mainstream public opinion," Cheng said. "He took advantage of the DPP to get rid of the mainland conservatives within the KMT, creating the so-called `Lee Teng-hui complex.'"

And it's this complex that Lee hopes will benefit his charges.

"The 40 candidates of the TSU are mostly unknown or without any political experience, but with the blessing of Lee Teng-hui these originally `marginal political forces' stand a chance of being elected," said Chen I-shen (陳儀深), a representative for the Northern Taiwan Society.Lee's performance over the weekend has also renewed worries that the TSU will draw on support from the DPP, to the latter's detriment.