KMT's Lien accepts defeat and shelves `confederation' plans for the time being

KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) agreed yesterday to shelve his proposal for a "cross-strait confederation," an idea that has proved to be a hard sell among Taiwanese wary of unification with China.

Lien -- while touting the confederation formula as the best approach to solve the cross-strait dispute -- told the KMT's Central Standing Committee not to place the issue on the agenda for the party's national congress. The congress is scheduled to meet this weekend.

Lien said yesterday that his confederation idea differs from the concept that relations with China are "special state-to-state" in nature, as articulated by his predecessor, Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).

Analysts note that Lien's confederation -- which assumes China and Taiwan are sovereign entities -- encompasses Lee's state-to-state formula.

But Lien scoffed at that notion yesterday.

"The two-states concept makes no mention of unification" as the ultimate means to end the sovereignty dispute across the Taiwan Strait, KMT spokesman Wang Chih-kang (王志剛) quoted Lien as saying. "In comparison, the confederation recognizes the spirit of `one China' in line with the National Unification Guidelines."

Though the confederation model has raised more questions than it answers, the KMT says the proposal can win support from home and across the Strait.

"Obviously, more promotion is necessary before the public can better understand what the confederation is about," Lien said through his aide.

The KMT chairman yesterday also ordered the party to set up a special task force devoted to seeking public support for its China policy.

Internal KMT polls suggest that four people support the cross-strait confederation for every three that oppose it. What's more, a significant number of people polled were unable to offer any comment on the idea because they lacked sufficient information about the plan.

Seeking to limit a potential exodus by party members sympathetic with Lee and his pro-Taiwan policies, the KMT has made "unity" the top theme of its upcoming national congress.

Dozens of top-ranking KMT members are expected to break ranks with the party to run in the legislative elections on behalf of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, a group of pro-Lee politicians to be formally founded next month.

The national congress, expected to draw nearly 2,000 delegates, provides an important opportunity for the KMT to build consensus among factions, observers said.

The KMT plans to campaign on six issues in the year-end elections. They are rising unemployment, the economic downturn, cross-strait issues, money politics, social divisions and environment pollution.