Book sheds light on end of Lee's rule

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) never forced his predecessor, Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), to step down after the party's defeat in the 2000 presidential election, according to a book released yesterday.

The claim came as direct rebut to another book -- The President in the Tiger's Mouth (虎口的總統) released in 2001 -- in which the author, notable Japanese writer Fuyuko Kamisada, wrote how Lee was galled by Lien's betrayal when Lien, then vice president and vice chairman of the KMT, told him to step down from his post as the KMT chairman after the party was defeated in the 2000 presidential election, saying the sooner he did so the better.

The new book, however, says that Lien never demanded that Lee hand over the party leadership.

According to the book -- Re-emergence of the Blue Sky (藍天再現), written by Lien's former long-term assistant Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) -- a couple of days after the presidential election Lee Teng-hui told Lien that other KMT supporters were coming from southern Taiwan to counter the angry protesters who were at the time camped outside KMT headquarters.

Lee then asked Lien what he thought about the situation, and Lien told Lee that such a public conflict had to be resolved as soon as possible, without meaning that Lee should resign, the book said.

Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislative whip Cheng Cheng-lung (程振隆) denied the claims made in Lee Chien-jung's book, saying that what mattered was not on the exact words used by Lien during that conversation but his attitude, which Lee had taken to mean that he was being forced to step down.

Lee Teng-hui is considered the spiritual leader of the TSU, which advocates an independent Taiwan.

Lee Chien-jung's book also details the KMT's transformation during the past three years.

The six-chapter book begins with the deterioration in relations between Lien and Lee Teng-hui and moves on to the KMT's reform under Lien's chairmanship. It discusses the formation of the alliance with the James Soong (宋楚瑜)-led People First Party (PFP) last year and concludes with a chapter on the future prospects of the KMT and how it can win the next election.

"Having been a long-term assistant of Lien's, I had first-hand experience observing Lien and the KMT," said Lee Chien-jung, who is now deputy manager of the KMT-owned Broadcasting Corporation of China.

Although Lee Chien-jung stressed that the main figure of the book is the KMT and not Lien, the book appears largely to promote Lien's candidacy ahead of March's presidential election.

Before the 2000 presidential election, in which Lien ran as the KMT's candidate, Lee Chien-jung authored another book about Lien detailing his governing record during his four years as premier.

In the process of writing the book, Lee Chien-jung said he had double checked all the facts with Lien.

Lien, originally slated to attend yesterday's launch of the book, did not show up because he had another event to attend.

KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) and CBC chairman Chao Shou-po (趙守博) attended yesterday's book release as special guests.

In his speech, Lin said that the rift between Lee Teng-hui and Lien actually started in January 2001, when the KMT decided to drop the claim over the Chung Hsing Bills Finance case, "a decision which Lee was apparently unhappy about."