Soong supporters suggest setting up alliance

KMT supporters of independent presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) who face expulsion by their party, announced yesterday their intention to organize a political alliance.

But KMT party leaders said that this alliance, if set up, would expose Soong's slogan calling for non-party politics as a lie.

Liu Wen-hsiung (劉?撊?, a KMT legislator and Soong supporter who was elected in Keelung City, said that KMT leaders should consider reforms because support for Soong within the party was gradually rising, while the KMT insists on punishing Soong and his backers.

"The Premier [Vincent Siew] never contacted us during his inspection visit to Keelung," Liu said. "And since we announced our intention to campaign for Soong, we haven't received any answer to our call for a budget to improve local infrastructure."

Liu stressed that at least nine KMT legislators are planning to cooperate with independents.

"We may organize an alliance and its members will come from the KMT and other independent alliances," Liu said. "And a heavyweight in the Legislative Yuan will be our leader. That person promised to make his position clear before mid-December."

Roy Chou (周錫3), another KMT legislator supporting Soong, stressed that expulsion from the KMT would not hurt his political career, and that Soong's expulsion would not harm his presidential campaign.

"There are still many KMT legislators and officials who pay lip service to the party's candidate Lien Chan (3s戰) but actually support Soong," said Chou. "And we hope those members stay in the KMT."

Meanwhile, KMT legislative caucus leader Tsan Yung-d (曾永權) announced that the party would complete the discipline case against Soong's supporters within two weeks, and at least seven or eight legislators would be expelled from the party.

Tsan said Soong supporters will be punished if they do any of the following: sign his (her) name to support Soong's signature drive; campaign for Soong in any public rally; be a formal official on Soong's campaign staff; or criticize the KMT in public.

Some KMT lawmakers said in private that the party should expel Soong's supporters as quickly as possible to prevent those being expelled from taking others with them.

"Soong said that he would organize a non-party government. But now, his supporters said they have to organize a political alliance if they are going to exert any influence," Tsan said. "It proves that party politics is the only basis of a democratic system."

DPP leaders questioned whether the proposed alliance could reach a consensus on any issue.

"Condsider the gambling article in the lottery law. Liu Wen-hsiung proposed this article but other lawmakers in support of Soong severely opposed it," said Chen Chi-mai (3祠靾?, DPP caucus leader.

Chen said that the negotiation system, which allows all different parties' caucuses and independent alliance leaders to discuss a bill, should not be upset by a small number of lawmakers who insist on their own stance.

"If they just want to campaign for someone, they should formally establish a party. People should be allowed to judge them by examining their policy proposals. People shouldn't need to watch them perform," Chen said.