Taipei Times: The opposition alliance has said repeatedly that your new party's slogan of "localization" actually means advocating "Taiwan independence" or teaming up with "black gold."
Huang: I have followed the ideas of Lee Teng-hui (
So, I represent "localization." The opposition alliance is intentionally misinterpreting the meaning while at the same time rushing to come up with their own positive spin on the word. This is only a way of jumping on the localization bandwagon.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
For example, the current KMT chairman, Lien Chan (連戰), has just used 24 Chinese characters to define "localization" and asserted that it is the party's guideline. But I wonder who can remember those 24 characters.
Lee's recent speech to "recover the economy, stabilize politics, consolidate democracy and strengthen Taiwan (
TT: The DPP recently joined the pan-KMT alliance in questioning whether the new political party will siphon off votes. How will the party realize Lee's plan to win 85 seats for the DPP by winning 35 seats for themselves -- to help the DPP command a majority in the Legislative Yuan?
Haung: The DPP must look at the new political party from a broader perspective. After all, without our party the DPP doesn't stand a chance of gaining more than 85 seats no matter how well it does in the year-end elections. And the political situation would remain in a stalemate with a minority government facing a majority opposition alliance.
But now that the new party is being formed, voters see in us new hope for Taiwan's future. Some local KMT officials and grassroots politicians are willing to join us and their supporters come from all the parties, with the majority from the KMT.
So even if a number of DPP seats or votes are transferred to the new political party, together the total number of seats we will win will be much higher than the DPP's goal of 85 seats. And only then will the DPP have the ability to take the lead in politics after the elections.
TT: How would you respond to criticism of the group's candidates who are said to be mediocre or unknown politicians?
Huang: If they are mediocre, then what are these parties worried about? Why has their response been so strong? In past legislative elections, there was always a turnover rate of over 30 percent, but this time I think it could be as high as 50 percent. Any candidate who wins is not mediocre.
Those parties that nominate candidates associated with "black gold" criticize the new group for resorting to ethnic discord, and label us as a "pro-independence" group. But in truth we have chosen to shelve the unification-independence dispute and focus on reviving the economy and strengthening Taiwan.
TT: How will Lee Teng-hui influence the elections in December, in terms of votes?
Huang: All I can say is that the 35 seats [in the Legislative Yuan] that Lee talked about is our goal and is also what the DPP is after in order to gain a majority in the Legislative Yuan. Lee is doing more than just leading a new political group. He is over 80 years old. After being president for more than 12 years, he is not interested in the game of political booty-sharing. What he cares about is Taiwan's political stability.
I am behind him in his mission and am fighting this election as "the general's last battle." I will get back to my job as a lawyer after the election. To say that Lee can only siphon off pro-independence votes is to simply underestimate Lee's influence. Actually, the pro-independence groups were just a minority among those who greeted Lee at the airport. There were also many people who came spontaneously.
I believe that the "Lee Teng-hui effect" will expand the voter base and influence the KMT's grassroots supporters. They will at least begin to aggressively challenge the direction of the KMT's leadership.
TT: How is the new political group going to raise funds for the election?
Huang: When the group is formally established in August, we will start a nationwide fund-raising campaign. We hope this turns into a national movement and helps the new party to become a force of stability in Taiwan. I believe vote-buying will be reduced this year and the new political group won't have to spend enormous amounts of money on campaigns like the KMT.
I also hope that the Ministry of the Interior will be proactive in deterring vote-buying and election-related violence.
If the national police force cooperates with the efforts of prosecutors and investigators, this election can set a very welcome precedent for cleaner and more regulated elections in the future.
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