KMT elders haggle over reform path

A committee of senior KMT officials, made up chiefly of so-called "non-mainstream" members of mainland origin, complained yesterday that the party's recently convened reform committee was moving in the wrong direction, while warning that the KMT's future would be threatened by the so-called "Lee Teng-hui (李登輝)path."

But members of the reform committee defended their work -- including the party's efforts to "localize" -- as a move in the right direction, while emphasizing that the party has to take action to change its image for voters.

At a meeting of the presidium of the KMT's Central Advisory Council -- composed of senior party members functioning in a consultative role -- members were quick to suggest ways to increase solidarity within the party in the wake of the humiliating loss in the March 18 election.

Members of the presidium also criticized what they called the inability of the newly established Party Affairs Reform Committee to act on its mandate. They also appealed to hasten the party's democratization.

Acting party chairman Lien Chan (連戰) has agreed to be present at another presidium meeting tomorrow.

While President Lee Teng-hui headed the KMT, the council had been considered a throwback to the old KMT regime, when it acted as a kitchen cabinet of sorts to the party chairman. In more recent years, however, the council's influence has dwindled.

Wang Tso-jung (王作榮), former president of the Control Yuan and a member of the council said the Party Affairs Reform Committee was "nonsense."

He further criticized the so-called "Lee Teng-hui path," saying what it really meant was to "struggle year-after-year in the party."

"If the KMT doesn't give up the `Lee Teng-hui path,' it will be impossible [for the KMT] to take back the presidency," Wang said.

Another Council member, Chang Chien-pang (張建邦), lashed out against the so-called "localization" (本土化) of the KMT in recent years. "The KMT is less of a domestic party than the DPP, so we cannot see any advantages in following this route," Chang said.

Liang Su-jung (梁肅戎), the chairman of the presidium agreed.

In an interview published on Sunday, Liang said there was "no path of localization" in the KMT's reform.

Many of the "non-mainstream" members of the party have either left or were marginalized by Lee when he continued work begun by his predecessor, Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), to promote Taiwanese members of the party to positions of power.

Many of the elder KMT stalwarts have accused Lee of using the effort to promote Taiwan independence, instead of supporting eventual unification with China.

Members of the Party Affairs Reform Committee, however, dismissed the comments by the party's elder statesmen.

Hung Shiu-chu (洪秀柱), vice secretary-general of the committee, said that they have already had several meetings to discuss how to enhance the KMT's image to appeal to voters.

As for localization of the party, Hung said it should not necessarily be a source of conflict between different ethnic groups, but on the contrary, it should be interpreted as an effort to enhance Taiwan's identity.

The Party Affairs Reform Committee, led by Lien, aims to draw up a reform plan that will be taken up at this year's National Party Congress, expected to meet on June 17 and 18. The congress is also expected to elect a new party leadership.